Together, Forever, as One
by RyokoJesseandFiend
Summary: SS. ET. Mina, daughter of SS, runs away to find her dad. Sakura follows, but is there more than Mina waiting for her? Making out in a pool, a giant dragon, albino bunnies, randomness.
1. Not the Albino Bunnies!

This fanfic was written by EvilRyokoJesseandFiend with Shadowed Eyes of an Angel.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own CCS. It really belongs to the wonderful group of four very talented women named CLAMP.  
  
NOW! ON WITH THE FIC!!!!!!!  
  
Together, Forever, As One  
  
Chapter 1: Not the Albino Bunnies!  
  
"I WON! I WON!" screamed the voice of ten-year-old Minako Kinomoto. She leapt on her bed hugging a small slip of paper. Her dreams had come true! The poetry contest, won by Mina herself, gave a free trip to China where her dad lives. She will FINALLY be able to meet him!!! Somehow she will find Syaoran Li, her father.  
  
Just then, she heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening. Her mother, Sakura Kinomoto, had just arrived back from her second job, and would be exhausted, but Mina didn't care. This news was too good! She skipped from her room, raced down the stairs, and then stopped suddenly in front of her mother.  
  
Sakura was wearing a burgundy business suit and skirt outfit, and had dark circles under her weary eyes. She tiredly set down her briefcase and removed her shoes and socks, then turned her attention to her exclaiming daughter.  
  
"What's all the screaming about Mina?" the amber-haired woman asked exasperatedly.  
  
"The poetry contest! My entry won!!" Mina brandished the small slip of paper. Sakura took it from the small girl's fragile hands and held it up, reading it with a smile.  
  
"Congratulations honey!" she exclaimed, and hugged Mina in her excitement. The ten-year-old hugged back, relishing the moment. Normally her mother ignored her, and then slumped into bed each night. Tomoyo tried to come around and be there for Mina, but most of the time the ten-year-old took care of the household and herself alone all day. The babysitter she DID have sat around eating chips and watching TV when hired. But Mina still loved her mother, despite her absence, very much, and Sakura was always trying her hardest to be there for her daughter.  
  
"Thanks, Mom. Did you see? The prize is a trip to China! We can finally go to see Dad!"  
  
Sakura's face suddenly grew rigid. His cinnamon-brown hair and chestnut- brown eyes flowed through her mind...the way he tasted, the subtle way he held her cheek, his kawaii blush, and his tantalizing smirk...  
  
"Mom? Can I go?" The miniature voice called Sakura out of her reverie. She shrugged off the memories of him, and considered what would happen if Mina and her went.  
  
'How can I let my daughter go? All of the news will be about the Li clan and she'll ask me about it...and Syaoran. Not to mention the cards. She MUST stay home.'  
  
You see, Mina has no idea about the Sakura cards, Clow Reed, card capturing, or anything! Sakura had never told her, because she wanted Mina to be able to live a normal life without the complications of magic.  
  
"I'm sorry Mina.....I...can't let you go." She knew how hard this was on her daughter, and cringed, ready for the rebellious answer.  
  
"What? But...why?" Mina backed away slowly, her dreams rushing in on her from all sides like tsunamis. She couldn't go? She COULDN'T GO?! It was all her mother's fault!  
  
"I...I HATE YOU!!! I-I'm never talking to you again, you...you..." a myriad of dreadful things to call Sakura ran through the young girl's mind, but was bold enough to only use the word, "JERK!"  
  
She left the room, sprinting up the wooden stairs, embarrassed by her cowardice, and angry at her imprisonment in a country without Syaoran.  
  
She flung herself onto her bed, and screamed in a fit of rage into her lavender pillow. Her Aunt Tomoyo (A/n: Tomoyo isn't really her Aunt, of course, but since she is very close to Sakura, Mina calls her that.) had made it for her. The embroidery was breath-taking. Aunt Tomoyo sewed very well.  
  
Mina inhaled the scent of lilacs that belonged to Tomoyo and was now a permanent part of the pillow. It had always calmed her, and that was why she kept the pillow on her bed. Her mind cleared, though it ached numbly. She could just barely feel the tears leaking from her emerald eyes...eyes like her mother, the wonderful Sakura. That's what everyone said. And she was always being compared to her mother. Why couldn't they say she had soft, chestnut-brown hair like her father? Why couldn't they say she had even a freckle in the same place as him? And then another thought struck her. If he was here, she could be in his arms right now. Instead, she was alone...again...  
  
'Why did he have to leave?'  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night, at around midnight, Mina sat alone her room, pondering still (after hours of it), and had come to a conclusion. She really loved her mom, and she was very special to her, but she NEEDED to know her dad. And the only way to do that was to get to China. And the only way to China...was to run away.  
  
Mina had been carefully constructing her get-away all evening, and now she stood in front of her closet, wordlessly gathering clothes for the trip in a tiny sleep-over bag.  
  
Ten minutes later, plane tickets in hand, Minako Li crept along the dark hallways of the old apartment building. Her flight left at 5:00AM, so she could sleep in the airport and Sakura wouldn't find her note by the time she was long gone.  
  
Seemingly ages later, Mina reached the main door. She crept out, saddles her bike quietly, and pedaled off down the lamp-lit streets of Tomoeda, Japan, heading straight for the airport.  
  
~*~ Yuki Airport, 4:55AM ~*~  
  
"Last call: all passengers of flight A-5 please report to your take-off area immediately. I repeat, all passengers of flight A-5 please report to your take-off area immediately."  
  
A small, blonde-haired figure lay, snoring loudly, sprawled across three blue, plastic chairs. At the loud announcement, she suddenly sat up.  
  
"NO! ANYTHING BUT THE EVIL ALBINO BUNNIES! PLEASE! SPARE ME!!!"  
  
Needless to say, every person, and pet, in the airport stopped what they were doing and stared at her.  
  
She blinked, confused, and then remembered what had happened hours before and noticed her surroundings.  
  
"Er...I'm okay, don't worry!" she said with a sheepish grin, waving, her hair tousled and cheeks red.  
  
The people gave her a misbelieving look, and then returned to their regular routines.  
  
Back in the seats, Mina checked her watch. It read 4:58AM  
  
"Ah!! I'm late!!!" she cried frantically, and fell unceremoniously out of her chair onto her fluffy, pink sleep-over bag.  
  
~*~ Two minutes later, on the plane ~*~  
  
'21, 22, 23, aha! Seat 24'  
  
Mina settled her self down next to a tall, seemingly familiar man, and placed her bag in her lap sheepishly. She felt extremely feeble next to the man's stature. He had a strange hair color...blue, like a blueberry. The ripest she'd ever seen.  
  
That was when she noticed he was watching her examine him.  
  
"Do you need something?" he asked her politely.  
  
'Oh God, now I've REALLY made a fool of myself..."  
  
"Er...I'm...Minako Li..." She smiled, nervously hoping he wasn't some crazy stalker. Her mother had always told her not to talk to strangers...  
  
"Aha, I see. That would explain it." Eriol said knowingly, and turned to idly gaze out the window at the runway.  
  
"Explain it? What's that supposed to mean?!" Mina said incredulously. Now she was offended. Who did he think he was, knowing all about her in two seconds? Humph!  
  
Mr. Blueberry-head laughed and shrugged, still looking out the window.  
  
"But that would be something your father would say. He never liked anyone reading his feelings unless you were the Cards Mistress..." He sighed like he was lost in some far-off memory. Sakura did that a lot too.  
  
"You...you know my father?" Mina asked tentatively.  
  
"Huh?" He snapped out of it, just like Sakura had done the night before. "Oh, you mean Syaoran? Yeah, he's a great guy. Like I said, he never lets on much, but has a heart of pure gold. In fact, he lives right around where we're headed. Are you going to visit?"  
  
Now Mina was on a subject she could understand.  
  
"Hai!" she replied happily. "I've never seen him before, so I'm really, really excited to see him for the first time."  
  
She smiled at him, feeling proud but a bit awkward because he was studying her face this time, staring right into her eyes.  
  
"You have Sakura's eyes," he said softly.  
  
Mina wasn't surprised. They all did this. But...why hadn't she picked up on it before? He knew her father AND her mother!  
  
"You...how do you know my mom?" She didn't even bother to say thank you.  
  
"Well, we...grew up together, you could say. The Great Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li were good friends of mine."  
  
He smirked. Is it an odd thing for someone who is a mere ten years old to be comforted by a smirk? But, nevertheless, she was. It seemed familiar in a way, but the memory was lost in the back of her mind. Maybe she had met the mysterious, blue-haired man as a baby.  
  
"Oh...so...if you knew my mom, then why did you call her great? She isn't so wonderful to me."  
  
"Well, there's a lot to your mom you don't see."  
  
Mina was confused. "H-how do you mean?"  
  
"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. Soon enough, my child..."  
  
He flashed her that Eriol smile, the one that makes you just be happy no matter what is going on, like he knows everything and that everything will be ok. Mina got a chill up her spine. It was all so familiar...But oh well. She would find out soon enough.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~END OF 1ST CHAPTER~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That's it! E-mail me at amarney27@yahoo.com if you have any questions, and flames are not tolerated. You will be sent back an e-mail in protest, although constructive criticism is GREATLY appreciated. Now for a small, fun dialogue!  
  
Syaoran- What was that!?!? I'm not even in it! I'm gonna kill you Ryoko! Thunder! *Zap*  
  
Ryoko- Oh Lord. I made him maaaaa..........d. Ow.  
  
SEA (Shadowed Eyes of an Angel) - *cracking up* beautiful Ryoko! I love the way you hit the floor and the ashes fell off of you! *rolling on the floor cracking up*  
  
ERJ-shut up...ugh.  
  
Sakura- *randomly pops onto the screen* Bad Syaoran! *whacks him on the head* no thunder in the house! How many times do I have to tell you that?!  
  
Syaoran-*whimpering* Sowwy sakura-chan!  
  
Sakura- You better be! *Gives the audience a huge smile* and that's the end of the first chapter of this SO kawaii fanfic!  
  
*Everyone except Sakura sweatdrops*  
  
Sakura- *blinks* Huh? Why did everyone sweatdrop?  
  
~*~  
  
R+R! 


	2. How a Frying Pan Changed His Life

Together, Forever, as One  
  
Chapter 2: How a Frying Pan Changed His Life  
  
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"Xiao Lang!!! Why aren't you up yet? I want to go for a walk!" Meiling Li, the cousin of Syaoran Li, yelled in the latter's ear.  
  
At the shrill, high-pitched noise, Syaoran instantly sat up in bed, waving his arms frantically and rumpling his blankets.  
  
"WAAAHH!!!"  
  
Meiling watched impatiently on, hands on her hips and foot tapping. When the amber-eyed man calmed down, he turned slowly to see who had woken him up.  
  
"Oh, it's you Meiling..." he rubbed his face tiredly, then lay back down in bed, his eyes closed, and began snoring loudly to show that he was ignoring her. But Meiling wasn't fooled that easily. She sighed, then took a deep, deep breath and bellowed.  
  
"GET UP YOU NINCOMPOOP!"  
  
Then she flung the sheets off of Syaoran's body. He immediately blushed and tried to grab at the covers, but only succeeded in falling head first at the raven-haired woman's feet.  
  
"Urgh..."  
  
"Well it serves you right. Now, get up before I get Feimei in here to wake you up for me, and I hear she uses a frying pan."  
  
At this Syaoran sat up swiftly and sat on his bed, staring into the determined eyes of his cousin.  
  
"Okay fine, but at least tell me what time it is."  
  
This comment finally seemed to sink into Meiling, and she scuffed the floor with her foot under Syaoran's piercing gaze.  
  
"Er...six o'clock?"  
  
Syaoran opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Meiling's whine.  
  
"But I wanted to see the sunrise, and the elder's say it's really beautiful today! Plus, you know they want us to do something romantic together everyday. Why not get an early start?"  
  
Syaoran gave a yawn, defeated, and then wiped his hands with his face.  
  
"Alright, fine. But leave while I change okay?"  
  
"Hai!"  
  
Meiling gave him a cute grin as she skipped out of the room. Something told her today would be a great day. Yet, back in Syaoran's room, he wasn't in a nice mood at all. Actually, he was downright miserable. He was thinking of her again. He was beginning to think those kinds of thoughts were bad for his health.  
  
'Sakura would have brought me tea and cake. If it wasn't for the Clan, she would be wrapped up in my arms right now, maybe even with a new child on the way. And Mina would be ten by now...I bet she's beautiful."  
  
He sighed. Syaoran's thoughts almost brought him to tears many times, and today was no exception. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. The Elders had made it clear the moment he had come back. They wanted him married to Meiling and no other.  
  
The not-so-small wolf pushed the sad memories away, and began ripping through his drawers for a suitable outfit.  
  
~*~ on the streets of China ~*~  
  
Mina Kinomoto strolled briskly along the sidewalk. She had gotten off of her plane two hours ago but it took one and a half hour to get out of the busy airport. With everything in Chinese she couldn't understand anyone or anything. If it weren't for a kind Chinese-AND-Japanese-speaking woman, she would probably still be stuck in the terminal. Anyway, she was out now and loving the beautiful, spring day.  
  
'It's such a nice day. I really do wish I wasn't so mean so my mom. Then maybe I could have convinced her to come with me...I wonder why she didn't want to go in the first place. Surely she would want to see Dad again, right?'  
  
She looked across the street to see a couple heading towards the beach. Each looked about thirty years old. The woman had her hair down, and the ebony locks glistened in the morning sun. The man next to her had short, messy cinnamon hair.  
  
All of a sudden, the man turned his head towards her. It was just a glance at first, but then he seemed to be surprised by her and the gaze returned and stayed, as if suspended in time. As she caught the stare and looked back, the man jerked back as if shocked or like he'd seen a ghost.  
  
~*~ across the street ~*~  
  
"Xiao Lang? Are you alright?" Meiling asked Syaoran, concerned, for his face had drained of its regular color.  
  
"I-I don't know. Do you see what I see?"  
  
Meiling looked around, trying to find what Syaoran was staring at, but all she was a small girl with a pink bag.  
  
"I see...a small girl across the street. What are you talking about?"  
  
"Don't you see it?!? Her eyes...they're...Sakura's!!!"  
  
Meiling raised her eyebrows in disbelief and put a hand on Syaoran's forehead.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe I shouldn't have gotten you up so early this morning..."  
  
Syaoran pushed her hand away, annoyed with her attitude.  
  
"I'm serious! You know no one has eyes like that except the Cards' Mistress! Look closer!"  
  
"Huh? Wait." Meiling, now interested, reached into her pocket and grabbed a pair of glasses. "There we go. WHOA!!!!! You're not kidding! Kodak moment! It's a mini Cards' Mistress! Creepy, don't you think?" She removed her spectacles, and turned to face her companion for his reaction. He was still staring straight ahead.  
  
"No duh. Come on, let's go say hi."  
  
Syaoran grabbed Meiling's hand and almost dragged her across the street he was so eager to get there. Mina was surprised that they were coming over.  
  
'What are they doing?' she thought, but was kind nevertheless.  
  
"Hello, my name is Syaoran Li, head of the Li clan of China." Syaoran said, bowing.  
  
"AND, I am Meiling, his cousin! Nice ta meetcha! ^_~" She shoved Syaoran to the side and randomly shook Mina's hand as the young girl sweatdropped.  
  
"Er...yeah, that's Meiling, but do you know a woman named Sakura Kinomoto?" Syaoran pushed impatiently.  
  
Mina was shocked. 'How does he know my mother? Were they friends as kids or...dad...but...already? I meant to stay here or at least a week to find him! And how did he know me? When he left I was two and mom said I barely had any hair...and his name is right. It has to be him, but I must check one last thing.'  
  
She dug her hand into her pocket, not saying a word. Then slowly, almost carefully so as not to ruin this chance to know the truth, she pulled out the picture. It was of her as a baby, holding her father's hand, and him holding her mother's on the other side. They were all smiling: a happy family; and his eyes truly glittered as her mom's so rarely did anymore.  
  
'They had been in love so much.' She stared at the picture, studying the man's face in it. He was full of happiness and his cinnamon-brown hair was messy, but looking casual. His cheeks were red, as if he was blushing, and his eyes were a deep brown that seemed to go on and on and on. Now she looked at the man in front of her, who had a quizzical look on his face, but the same never-ending eyes the photo indicated, and the same rebellious hair. Her eyes started welling up with tears, and right then, she knew she had found her father, the only one TRUE father she could ever have, and one word said it all.  
  
"Dad" was all Mina could manage because by that time Syaoran had grabbed her, hugging her fiercely, and never wanting to let go again. Then the tears came. His clothes were wet all over the front and her eyes were red, but still they held on to each other. Neither one cared.  
  
"Oh, Minako, I missed you so much! I don't know how I've been living all these years without you, my one daughter. And where is your mother? You couldn't have come here alone...could you? Oh, I know, you used The Cards."  
  
"What do you mean I used 'The Cards'? I flew here on an airplane just like anyone else would." Mina was very confused. 'My mother has never told me about some "cards". Is my dad crazy? How could a deck of cards like the one I played with on the plane help me travel from Japan to China? The idea's just absurd,' she thought.  
  
He pulled away from her and put his hands on her shoulders. "The Clow Cards; I'm sure you used some tricky mixture of them to get over here, though I find it hard to believe you used Fly-"  
  
"DAD?!?!? Are you CRAZY!?!? What are these 'Cards' and how am I supposed to 'Fly' with them?!?"  
  
"You mean she didn't-oh no." He turned to Meiling, who shrugged at him. No one knew what to do, or how to explain this.  
  
'All the years of fighting', Syaoran thought, 'risking our lives...Sakura wanted to spare her from that, having the weight of the world on her almost everyday. But she's our only heir to the cards. She MUST become the Cards' Mistress, yet how can I tell her such an unbelievable story when the Cards are so far away?'  
  
"We have a lot of explaining to do," he said firmly to Meiling. She just nodded solemnly and then to Mina he said, "Come stay at my place. We have a whole ton of stories to tell tonight."  
  
And with a very curious yet contented look on her face, Mina began towards a new home; with a part of her family she'd never met but had always loved.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Will Mina accept her role as the Cards' Mistress? Will Sakura chase after Mina? Will Eriol interfere? And what the heck is the deal with Syaoran and Meiling?  
  
Read on to find out, and don't forget to review! 


	3. Mr Blueberry's Lovely Ladies

Chapter 3- Mr. Blueberry's Lovely Ladies  
  
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All Sakura could do was sit and cry. If Syaoran was here, he would have told her to stop it. It wouldn't help anything. But he wasn't here, and she couldn't help it. It was finally going to happen after all of these years. She had tried to avoid it, but when it was her daughter, well, let's just say nothing gets past that girl.  
  
Mina had bothered Sakura about her father since she was 5, and Sakura tried to ignore it. But clever phrases caught her off guard, and eventually Sakura ended up spilling her feelings out like a spout into a sink about all of the horrible years she spent dreaming of Syaoran and wishing for his return.  
  
Now Sakura's best friend could only say things would be okay and pray for the best. There was no choice. They could not afford another plane ticket. The only way of getting to her daughter was to use those not forgotten but un-touched cards: the ones with power, the Sakura Cards.  
  
She didn't even know if they'd listen to her anymore. She had denied them as they tried to break out of the book and talk to her. They used to be good friends, but then she was young and foolish, and the Cards had seemed like a kind of unreal game.  
  
Finally, love came into the picture, and everything changed. Her whole view of life and the world was challenged and scrambled. Now she was the protector, and her world needed her to preserve the love she now knew and cared so deeply for.  
  
But when she lost that love...She locked up the cards, shoved them into a drawer, and forgot about the whole thing. She felt betrayed, because they couldn't stop him from leaving. They hadn't protected the protector. Moving on, then, meant everything.  
  
Now, though, with her daughter gone, it seemed Sakura must find Mina and face her past. Seeing Syaoran might be too much though. It felt like the rush of feelings she would have would just make her burst. The thought of going to China seemed more dangerous to Sakura at that moment than it had meant to capture her first card, or to learn to live with her mother's death as a child.  
  
So now, with a shaky heart but strong will, Sakura found herself seated in a corner of the room on a small, sturdy, wood chair. The cards hovered in a huge pink aura-glowing circle around her and her best friend Tomoyo.  
  
"It'll be okay, Sakura, Mina's a strong girl," The violet- haired girl said gently whe she saw the look on Sakura's face.  
  
"I know Tomoyo, arigato, but I can't get over this...it's all happening so fast. Or...maybe I didn't think it would happen at all...demo...that's ridiculous. I knew one day she would learn the truth...meet...him."  
  
" I know, Sakura-chan. You should be proud. She's just like you."  
  
Sakura smiled at this, and Tomoyo hugged her friend then smiled back.  
  
"Alright then, down to business," she said, taking charge. "Fly, and.....time?"  
  
The said cards flew to Sakura's hand almost instinctively. But, suddenly, a sure, cold voice cut through the tension in the air.  
  
"No. We will go the fast way."  
  
Sakura looked up, and when her eyes took on the sight before her, she could only merely stare, a huge grin splitting her face. Tomoyo was just as mesmerized, but it was in her eyes that this was so wonderful she couldn't have asked for a better moment in her life.  
  
Tears erupted and flooded down her cheeks to the wooden floor below and she didn't give them a second thought as the smile on her face grew. She stood shaking her head in disbelief until finally she screamed,  
  
"ERIOL-CHAN!!" and ran to him, giving him an enormous hug.  
  
"My Tomoyo," he whispered softly in her ear. The moment was perfect.  
  
By now Eriol's voice, which was so sturdy before, had turned soft and mellow. He sank into the hug that she refused to stop giving him and just enjoyed the moment. It had been so long since they had last seen each other. His eyes were filled with so much love it was amazing that they had denied it for so long.  
  
You see, Eriol had become great friends with Sakura and Tomoyo after the whole "testing Sakura" business was over and she had decided to not use her magic anymore. The magic was forgotten, and Tomoyo and Eriol got to know each other better, and their friendship grew into love.  
  
Of course, neither would admit it, but it was obvious when Eriol blushed every time he saw Tomoyo, or how she had taken way more time than usual to get changed (which she didn't even have to do in the first place) whenever Eriol would be in the same place as her. She even started taping him along with Sakura!  
  
But the surprising thing was Eriol hadn't been seen around for years. He had so many people to attend to, being the reincarnation of the great Clow Reed! The last time Tomoyo or Sakura saw him they were 15. Why would he turn up now? SO you would understand that when Sakura saw the handsome blue- haired man, she first had trouble recognizing him, and then she had trouble believing it was actually her old, magical friend.  
  
"Is it really you? Eriol Hiirigazawa, the reincarnation of the great Clow Reed?" inquired Sakura.  
  
"In the flesh." he replied.  
  
"Oh. My. Gosh!"  
  
At that moment she ran up and hugged him almost as fiercely as Tomoyo had.  
  
"Wow, I must be the lucky guy today, I've got two beautiful women hanging all over me and I didn't even ask."  
  
"HOOOOOEEEE?" screamed Sakura, blushing furiously.  
  
Eriol simply laughed to himself and said, "Well, Sakura, I haven't heard you say THAT for a long time. You've still got some spunk left in you. And you're going to need it to get to your daughter and my cute little descendent back."  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Yeah, are you helping us?"  
  
"Of course I am you fools! And I think my darling here"-he squeezed Tomoyo's waist-"and I can concoct some dashing plan to bring back your loved ones, Sakura."  
  
Tomoyo giggled, and Sakura gave Eriol another hug.  
  
"Kami-sama, I am so glad you're back."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~END OF CHAPPIE 3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	4. And, Just as We Were About to Kiss

Chapter 4-And, Just As We Were About to Kiss...  
  
~*Mina Kinomoto's POV*~ (8 years old)  
  
I sat on a large, green pillow, facing my newly found father's stylish friend. She said her name was Meiling Li, so I figured she was a relative of my dad.  
  
He said he had gone to get something. He said it had to do with magic, but mom told me there was no such thing...but I'd heard her crying at night about never going back to it. I wonder...does he know what's going on? Can he explain those weird cards I found in her drawer?  
  
I looked up at Li-san, and she was smiling at me.  
  
"I know your wondering what's going on, but he'll be back soon, and you probably can feel it already."  
  
"Feel what?"  
  
She seemed confused, then realized I had no idea what any of this was. Well, obviously! They both seemed as if this was as natural as breathing. I wondered if Aunt Tomoyo knew of this.  
  
"Oh, yeah," she said, "I mean Syaoran's aura. Close your eyes and concentrate on his image. You should feel something green, a bit soft, but strong."  
  
I closed my eyes, trying to detect what she described. I couldn't find it and then..."AH!" I jumped back, my eyes bursting open to stare wide-eyed at Meiling.  
  
"What was it?" Li-san asked me.  
  
"I...I saw a bright green light...just how you described! It was coming here...is it bad?"  
  
At first I had thought she was worried, but then her look softened and she began laughing.  
  
Then my dad, Syaoran Li, walked into the room, and when I looked at him, his whole body was glowing in that green light, and it scared me.  
  
"D-dad?"  
  
"Yes?" He said distractedly, for he was swinging around a silver sword as if it was a part of him. He was its master.  
  
"WHAT IS THAT!??"  
  
He stopped, smirked, and came to sit next to me.  
  
I had come here the day before, had a wonderful night's sleep (very fluffy cushions in this place), and an amazing breakfast made by Li-san. Dad says she only cooks for special visitors, and that I was extremely special. Don't worry, I remembered to say thank you.  
  
I'm so glad I found him, yet he keeps making me wonder what all this is about.  
  
Still, it sure is cool that he has a sword!  
  
"This," he said softly to me, placing it in my hands, "Is my magical sword. This is what I used to battle with, back when Sakura, your mom, and I, were about 11 years old."  
  
My eyes widened in wonder. "Magic..."  
  
"Yes, Minako, and you have it too."  
  
I could only stare. This was the answer to all of the secrets in my life. This was the part of me that had been missing. For the first time in my short life, I felt whole.  
  
*********************Tomoeda, Japan**********************  
  
~*Normal POV*~  
  
"Oh Eriol-kun I missed you so much!" cried Tomoyo Daidouji.  
  
The tall blue-haired man smiled at Tomoyo. "I missed you too Tomoyo-chan."  
  
Tomoyo blushed at being called "-chan" instead of "-san".  
  
He smiled warmly at her, and then turned to face Sakura. The cards had gone back into the book, and Sakura held it to her chest now.  
  
"Do you have the book?" He asked.  
  
Sakura nodded.  
  
"Good. Both of you come hold my hands. To be transported with me we must be touching."  
  
The girls held one of Eriol's hands each as an azure glow filled the small apartment.  
  
Soon, in a rush of blue, Tomoyo Daidouji, Eriol Hiirigazawa, and Sakura Kinomoto were swept off of their feet and flung through time and space to Hong Kong, China.  
  
But, through the transportation, Sakura could have sworn she heard a soft voice say in her ear, "You didn't tell her, did you?"  
  
And Sakura knew exactly what Eriol meant, and she knew it had been a mistake.  
  
**********************The Li Mansion**********************  
  
~*Two hours later, Meiling's POV*~  
  
".....And then, just as we were about to kiss, all of the lights went off, and the audience erupted in a scream of fright! I looked around blindly; glad no one could see my blush..."  
  
Syaoran had been telling the story of his childhood for the past two hours, and having the time of his life. He had gotten out his Li Clan robes, ofudas, and sword. At the moment, he's telling the story of the Shadow Card.  
  
I can't wait until he gets to the part with Eriol.  
  
I grinned evilly.  
  
What's even better is that Kero-chan stowed away in Mina's bag, just like he used to do with Sakura! He keeps piping up and calling Syaoran a brat! It's so fun, just like old times...  
  
I sighed.  
  
I'll miss Mina when she goes home. She reminds me of her mother and makes Syaoran so happy.  
  
Just then, there was a knock on the door.  
  
Syaoran didn't notice, so I called Wei.  
  
"Wei, will you get the door, please?"  
  
"Of course I will Ms. Li." I heard Wei call in reply.  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
A few minutes later, he entered the room, and rapped softly on the wall to get Syaoran's attention.  
  
"Master Li, you have some visitors."  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"A Mr. Eriol Hiirigazawa~"  
  
"Could you tell him to come back some other~"  
  
"No, Master Li, he has some friends with him." Wei said, cutting Syaoran off.  
  
"Friends?" Syaoran asked.  
  
"Um...Yes, there's a Miss Tomoyo Daidouji, and a Miss Sakura Kinomoto."  
  
She was here? I watched Syaoran's jaw drop, his sword fall slowly from his hands...I could almost see his mind whirring. I watched his aura spin, then stop and grow bright. He was taking it in. I looked to Mina, and saw her frightened look. She was afraid to be caught running away, and she had no idea what this meant to Syaoran.  
  
When I turned back to Syaoran, he had already run off to greet her, whispering under his breath.  
  
"My Cherry Blossom!"  
  
~~~~~~end chappie 4! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
This one was a bit cheesy, but ah well! R+R! 


	5. Trapped All alone in Your Fire Inferno

Chapter 5- Trapped All Alone in Your Fire Inferno  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"S-Sakura-chan?"  
  
Sakura only stood, wide-eyed, and then gained her composure.  
  
"Where are you keeping my daughter?" Anger flared in her eyes, and Syaoran took a step back.  
  
"She-she's~" He tried to say, but a small girl came in holding a teddy bear. She tugged on her daddy's sleeve and looked up at him as he looked down at her.  
  
"~right here." Syaoran finished.  
  
"Dad, what's this?" She asked.  
  
He picked her up and took the bear slowly from her hands, holding it very carefully.  
  
"This, my daughter, is Sakura. Your mother made it all by herself, and when we fell in love she gave it to me."  
  
"That's so sweet dad!"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"And I made her one too. I named it Syaoran, so she would never forget me," he added, and then looked at his wife.  
  
Sakura now had tears in her eyes, and Syaoran put Mina down slowly as they began trickling from those beautiful jade green pearls. She sunk to her knees and just stayed there, sobbing, as he came over.  
  
Tomoyo gasped, and Eriol put his arm around her, keeping her from running over to her best friend. This was between Sakura and Syaoran.  
  
"W-why? Why did you have to leave us Syaoran? WHY?!"  
  
He rubbed her shoulders softly, calming her. "Shhh... It'll all be ok, I'm here now. I'm here..." And he let a single tear escape also, sealing his sincerity.  
  
"I'm s-sorry." She hiccoughed (A/n: that's the real way to spell "hiccupped") and his face came near hers. She could smell his scent again. Like peonies, but warm and soft and strong and...  
  
She ran. She was falling in again, and wouldn't go under his spell. Love had hurt her before, and she wouldn't let it again. She would have to leave with Minako as soon as possible, but for now...for now, she would just stay in her old room.  
  
She ran swiftly up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and went into a door on her left.  
  
This was the room she stayed in before Yelan passed away, before she had to leave Syaoran, and before she realized she was pregnant.  
  
Two years after Minako's birth, Yelan died from cancer, and that was when the clan began to collapse. China needed Syaoran, but he wouldn't leave his cherry blossom for even the largest country on the planet. When he asked if they could keep Mina in the house, the elders refused, splitting the family and forcing Syaoran to stage a marriage with Meiling to run the clan. There had been no choice.  
  
Sakura buried her face in the pillow and cried away the memories. She looked up, and saw a small pink bear on the dresser next to a picture of Syaoran, another picture of all of the Lis, and one of the Kinomotos.  
  
'I had been so happy...' she thought, but the idea just made the pain come welling back, and soon Sakura had cried herself to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~That Night~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sakura woke to a soft tickle on her hand. Whatever was holding it was so warm... She squeezed it.  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
Syaoran awoke from his sleeping spot in the chair at the soft squeeze on his hand.  
  
"Oh, Sakura, you're awake." He looked at her sadly.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I had a dream...you were in it...and we...we were in a meadow. It was full of daisies and all kinds of flowers. And you just held me in your arms and said you would never leave..You would never leave..."  
  
"Sakura, I'm so sorry. You know I couldn't stay. You know I would never~"  
  
"And then I smelled smoke. I looked up over the tall grass and saw a light. It was a soft orange. I thought it was pretty, but I had no idea what it was.  
  
"B-but then you panicked. You said it was a fire, and it would burn everything. That it all would be lost and"-Sakura felt soft tears trickling down her cheeks, and found the words pouring from her lips hard to say. She didn't know why she was telling him this. She hardly knew what she was saying, but she continued anyways.  
  
--"you ran away from me. Then I was in a cage, and you vanished while the flames turned red and they...they burned me to death! I couldn't move! I just...I just stood there...I couldn't move...I couldn't..."  
  
Sakura felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her fragile form and instinctively she turned around and sobbed into his arm.  
  
Just then, someone knocked softly on the door, and then it opened. In came the small figure of Mina, still holding the teddy bear. Sakura was still holding the other one.  
  
"Mom? Dad? What's going on?" She climbed up onto the bed and sat on her knees.  
  
"Can I come and stay with you two? I heard mom crying. I...want to make her feel better...Was it because I left?" She crawled up into the spot on the other side of Sakura form Syaoran, and touched her mother's arm lightly.  
  
"I'm sorry Mom, I just missed Dad so much and I didn't want to never see him again. I-I didn't mean to make you cry. I feel bad because...you were always so tough at home, and I just gave up being lonely, while you fought it out."  
  
Sakura looked at her daughter, as if deciding what to say, and then she spoke quietly, "That's alright, Mina, we're going to have to learn how to forgive if things are going to turn out right. I...I guess I was foolish not to do anything until now."  
  
"We all make mistakes, Mom. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Thanks honey." Sakura put her arm around her daughter.  
  
The sky had been clear that night. That moment, right when Sakura thanked Mina, things could have been called perfect. Things could have been settled, and everything would have been fine...if Sakura hadn't forgotten everything that had happened by the time she woke up.  
  
~* In another wing of the mansion *~  
  
"So, how are we gonna hook 'em up?" inquired Tomoyo in a whisper as her and Eriol peered around the corner of the room, watching the sleeping family.  
  
"I don't know, Love, but I was thinking the same thing."  
  
"Well, Sakura as sure as heck won't act like this when she has her senses back."  
  
"Yeah...What about the~?" He stopped, and they both said:  
  
"Nah"  
  
"What about~"  
  
"Nah..."  
  
"I know!" This was Tomoyo, "The pool!"  
  
He smiled evilly. "Midnight swim..."  
  
"Exactly" So did she.  
  
"Perfect. Meet you tomorrow night after dinner. Sweet dreams!" Eriol said, and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"'Night, hon'!" Tomoyo said, winking, and headed to her room too, thinking to herself "Finally, we get to try this all over again."  
  
*** The next morning ***  
  
A yawn erupted from Sakura's room, and inside Syaoran stretched, yawning just like a wolf would, awakening the sleeping maiden beside him.  
  
"Hoe? Oh...it's just you Syaoran..." She said, burying her face in the pillow. She hadn't realized what had happened yet, and that she wasn't in her dream just married to Syaoran and back in Tomoeda without a daughter yet, but in Hong Kong next to the Syaoran that had left her.  
  
"Oh, sorry sleepyhead, I meant to say good morning," he teased.  
  
"That's okay," she said, her eyes still closed, and her mouth in a contented smile, "I don't mind anything you do."  
  
"Good," he said, smiling, and leaned down towards her, "Because you're perfect and I would never want to hurt you." And he kissed her softly, running a hand through her hair. Their noses touched, and Sakura giggled.  
  
"You're cute, you know that?" she asked.  
  
He nodded gently, so as not to bump her head, and kept smiling lovingly. All they saw were each other's eyes. His arms were on both sides of her, and his body was to her right.  
  
She brushed one of his bangs out of his face, as he tucked one of her light brown locks behind her ear.  
  
"Mom, Dad, I'm hungry."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened, and she asked, "Who was that?"  
  
"It's okay Sakura, it was just Mina~"  
  
"MINA?!" She jumped from under him and hit his head with her shoulder, but didn't notice him clutching his skull in pain in her panic.  
  
"It can't be real~" And she noticed her surroundings. No Syaoran's small, cozy apartment. No handmade pillows. No pictures of Touya being stomped on. Just a room painted her old favorite color: pink. And the worst part was she was in China.  
  
"No...NO! I can't be here again!"  
  
She threw the covers off her, and ran from the room in hysterics, a confused Syaoran and Mina left staring blankly at each other.  
  
"Oops..." said Mina.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End chappie 5~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	6. Slowy McSlowerton Cant Catch a Snail

I want to thank my online pal, Arcticflames, for Tomoyo and Eriol's scheme!! She rocks! I'm forever grateful for this idea!!  
  
(Note: The Sense Card belongs entirely to me...except she's a Card...yeah.)  
  
*** This is the 6th chapter of "Together, Forever, as One" and will be fun! I promise!  
  
Love, Ryoko  
  
Chapter 6-Slowy McSlowerton Can't Catch a Snail  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "So...it's decided then."  
  
"Well I guess. We were going to have to get those two together some day!"  
  
"Your right, sweet, it's been too long."  
  
Tomoyo blushed at Eriol's remark, but waved it from her thoughts. They were sitting in a comfortable room in Syaoran's mansion, discussing their latest plan for the Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf.  
  
At first, the idea was to lock them both in the fence around the pool. Very tempting, Eriol had admitted, but he figured with Sakura, she would be WAY too stubborn. Syaoran was the one that wanted her, not her him; at least...not yet. (A/n At this moment, please insert an evil grin. :)Z))  
  
No, Eriol had decided he would summon a monster "by accident", and they would be forced to fight together. Of course, Syaoran and Sakura had first started out their relationship with a battle. Why couldn't they restart it the same way?  
  
Tomoyo had wholeheartedly agreed, and so the planning began. Extensive research as to which kind of creature, planning for when, how, where, why: the usual.  
  
In Sakura's case: Tomoyo was to tell her that they were going to meet in the park at 4:00PM, and take a walk. She made it clear that they needed to have some "girl time" as Tomoyo so fondly put it, and talk about what Sakura would do with the Sakura Cards now. "Are you sure you want to get rid of them?"  
  
In Syaoran's case: Eriol was to tell him that they were going to meet in the park at 4:00PM, and take a walk. He made it clear that they needed to have some "guy time" as Tomoyo so fondly put it, and talk about his training. "Have the Elders been pushing you too hard?"  
  
The extremely cliché trick: Eriol and Tomoyo never actually meet Sakura and Syaoran.  
  
Finally: Eriol summons a giant dragon to defeat them, and they have to work together to fight it off.  
  
"As they would have said back in England: bloody brilliant." Eriol said; pleased with this new scheme his lovely had cooked up.  
  
"Arigatou Eriol-kun. Now, we set it into action."  
  
~*~*~* 3 hours later *~*~*~  
  
The sun was shining, birds were singing, the sky was blue, the clouds were white and fluffy, Syaoran was headed one way, and Sakura in the other.  
  
Two heads were facing the ground. Two voices were muttering, and two brown- haired heads suddenly collided.  
  
*THUNK*  
  
"Oww!!!!" was the unanimous exclamation on impact.  
  
"What was that for?! Oh, it's you." They said in unison, both stressing the 'you' as if it was a vulgar term and gave their mouth a horrible taste.  
  
Both glared at each other, though Syaoran's was a bit pitiful compared to what he used to do and because of who he was looking at. He just couldn't be mad at those sparkling, majestic, orbs of emerald perfection...  
  
"STOP SAYING WHAT I SAY!" Sakura yelled.  
  
"STOP ACTING SO FREAKING IMMATURE!"  
  
"OH YEAH, WELL WHO'S THE ONE SAYING FREAKING? THE LAST TIME I SAID THAT WAS SECOND GRADE!"  
  
"STOP LYING, ONNA! IT FITS YOU TOO WELL!"  
  
"SHUT UP, CHIBI WOLF-BOY, I BET YOU HOWL TO THE MOON EVERY NIGHT!"  
  
"OH YEAH, WELL~"  
  
"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!"  
  
An earsplitting roar sounded in the middle of Sakura and Syaoran's incessant bickering, and they had suddenly become face to face with a gigantic green dragon.  
  
Sakura's eyes went wide. The last time she had fought something like this was...could she remember? The Earth card, yes that was it, and this one, she could tell by the smoke coming from its nostrils, could breath fire.  
  
Then in as if in slow motion she saw the fire build up, the dragon's mouth open, and a fiery death was about to succumb her.  
  
"MOVE IT YOU BAKA!"  
  
Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and Sakura was flung out of the way, landing underneath whoever had saved her.  
  
Sakura opened her eyes and saw Syaoran and, behind him, the once-green grass of the park destroyed. Small flames were left there, tasting the air and trying to grow, but that was all. Her eyes went wide at the destruction, and looked to Syaoran for help. He always knew just how to fight, what Card to use, where to use it...  
  
"What were you THINKING?! Get up and use the Cards, Sakura! We don't have time for this!" He yelled, shattering her hopes of him being a hero.  
  
She had forgotten that she was the hero, and always will be.  
  
She reached for her necklace, and, almost automatically, chanted the words to summon her staff.  
  
"Key that holds the power of the stars, reveal thy true form before me. Under the covenant, I, Sakura, command you, RELEASE!"  
  
She pulled the Dash from her coat pocket, holding it with expert precision between her middle and first finger, her eyes set.  
  
"DASH!"  
  
And soon she was sprinting faster than the wind to the tail of the dragon. From there she ran up his back, the scales hard underneath her feet.  
  
She was feeling a passion that had left her for the past 13 years, and now it rose strongly inside of her, giving her amazing strength. With each bit of returning confidence came more speed, and when Sakura got to the head of the dragon, she knew exactly what she had do to do, and she was shining pink.  
  
"SWORD!"  
  
Her star staff had become a long pink sword, and Sakura drove it straight into the monster's head, expecting to split it easily, but in vain. As soon as the sharp point hit those scales, the dragon roared in annoyance, whipping his head around, trying to stop the seemingly bug-sized girl on top of him.  
  
Sakura was flung off, and instinctively in mid-air pulled out yet another card.  
  
"FLY!"  
  
Great wings sprouted from her back.  
  
Syaoran could only stare in wonder. How had this woman, who had seemed so sad, tired, and miserable, suddenly transform into HIS Sakura, the one who had saved his life countless times, changed who he was, why he was, and everything about him, for the better?  
  
Hope leapt inside of him, and something he knew all to well snapped at him, "What are you doing? Help her!" He had to help her defeat this thing! If she was to be injured, his life would go down the drain. She was his hope! He had to stop that enormous beast! He summoned his sword, feeling the routine of it coming back. How come this felt so different when he did this every day in training? He had such a strong sense of purpose now.  
  
The sword wasn't just a weapon, but a means of defeating what had come against him. It was a channel for his energy. He began to glow green as Sakura landed beside him, her white, downy wings barely skimming the ground and fitting her perfectly. Sakura made a beautiful angel. Without even glancing at the man beside her, she pulled out yet another Card, this one with subtly different markings on the back than the others.  
  
"SENSE!"  
  
This was one of the new cards Sakura had made from Create when she was about fourteen. It told you the enemy's weaknesses, target areas, power level, strongest element (if any), and reason for attack. All crossed Sakura's mind like reading a book, and a puzzled look crossed her features as she stood next to Syaoran.  
  
There was no reason for its attack! But it wasn't that he was just a reckless creature. It said the information was "inaccessible", whatever that meant, but it was weak to water and lightning, and used the element fire. Its power level was 20, not too high, but hard nonetheless. The only target area was the diamond-shaped ruby between its eyes, and it was extremely slow-moving, which was rather unlike dragons.  
  
**behind the tree, watching**  
  
Tomoyo giggled to herself. "She can't figure out his reason!" (More random giggling)  
  
Eriol couldn't help but laugh too. "Did you see the look on Syaoran's face when he saw Sakura with wings?! This is priceless!"  
  
"Aw, I just wish Sakura was wearing one of my kawaii outfits!"  
  
"Well, do you have one in mind?"  
  
"Of course! I've only been picturing her in it the whole time!"  
  
Eriol grinned evilly. He knew she would. This would turn out great.  
  
"Well, close your eyes and I'll show you something. Don't open until I tell you, and keep concentrating on Sakura in that outfit."  
  
Tomoyo closed her eyes and nodded, wondering what he was about to do. Eriol closed his eyes also, and faintly glowed blue, and then it subsided.  
  
"Now, look at Sakura." Tomoyo opened her eyes and turned to look at the cherry blossom when~  
  
"HOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"S-Sakura, what happened to your clothes?!" Syaoran asked frantically as he blushed crimson.  
  
"I-I don't know! They just changed and now I look like I'm in one of Tomoyo's crazy outfits!"  
  
Syaoran thought he could hear laughing faintly over the roar of the confused dragon, who was still circling trying to catch the Sense, but shrugged it off.  
  
While the user gathered the information, they needed time to process it and decide on a plan, so Sakura had taught the Sense to run around for a bit, teasing whatever was attacking about its weaknesses. It was quite good at it, and amusing to watch. She used it on Kero whenever he was being annoying.  
  
Right now it was saying, "Oh come on you big oaf! Can't ya catch me? No, you're too slow and cumbersome, might break a nail or something, trying to go so fast." The dragon could only roar deafeningly at the little yellow girl look-alike that was actually Sakura's card.  
  
"Yeah, that bothers you doesn't it? Come on at me, Slowy McSlowerton, you couldn't catch a snail even if it was on a leash!"  
  
The dragon swiped his claws at her in a crazy rage.  
  
Sakura was watching, pondering over what to do, and finally got an idea.  
  
"Look Syaoran, I'm going to need your help. He's weak against water and lightning, but has a power level of twenty. We'll have to hit it with both. I'll use the Jump and drench it with Watery, and then you use Thunder. You see that red spot between his eyes?"  
  
Syaoran nodded.  
  
"That's its power source and, naturally, its weak spot. Hit him there and that should do it if Sense can be trusted."  
  
She winked at him, and Syaoran felt another blush rise to his cheeks as he nodded.  
  
"Ready, go!" Syaoran started them off and ran around to the front of the dragon, where he distracted it from Sakura who had used the Jump and was now in the middle of its long circled body.  
  
(A/n: like in the second movie at the beginning where she fights that fire dragon that Kero and Yue set up for her...if you've seen it ^^)  
  
"WATER!" and the graceful, blue, mermaid-like creature was soaring over the dragon, raining tiny water droplets over it as it cried in pain. To the dragon, the water was like acid, each milliliter of water searing through the scales and onto its flesh in pure vicious agony. But that wasn't enough to stop it.  
  
Sakura looked down at Syaoran, and he nodded, pulling out an ofuda.  
  
"THUNDER!" He called, and a brilliant strike of lightning cut through the sky, heading straight for the dragon's head.  
  
In a rush of white light, the huge creature has gone, and Sakura fell from the sky, suddenly exhausted from her use of power. Syaoran, who had been training with the clan these past 13 years, had energy to spare, and caught Sakura in his arms as she fell.  
  
She had fought amazingly, even when she was out of practice, and he was proud of her. There was so much in Sakura that he missed, and now that she was here in his arms, it seemed like everything was right again. It wasn't whiney Meiling (A/n: No offense to anyone! This is how Syaoran thinks! I love Meiling! She's so spunky!) with him, but a sleeping angel, his cherry blossom.  
  
He brushed a few locks of her auburn hair from her face, and noticed the soft flush in her cheeks from the exertion, and how soft her skin was. Her mouth was slightly open, and he was so tempted to kiss her, to wake her up to smile again, but she didn't want him anymore, so he let the angel rest. She deserved some peace from the stress in her life lately. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. All he knew was that he missed her and their daughter more than anything in the universe.  
  
A single salt tear fell down Syaoran's cheek and landed on the burned ground beneath him. He lowered his head to Sakura's ear, noticing her amazing scent, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Sakura, but I love you."  
  
And his lips met hers.  
  
~*~*~*~~ END CHAPPIE 7!!!!!!!!!!~~*~*~*~  
  
CLIFFIE!!!!!!!!!! MWAHAHAHAhAhAHAHA!!!!!!!!  
  
*knives thrown at her* AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
FORGIVE ME PLEASE REVIEWERS! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!  
  
Speaking of reviewers, I need to give a little credit here..  
  
Kita~~ Yes, Syaoran told Meiling about his and Sakura's daughter, and she and him faked a marriage. The clan doesn't know. (They'd FLIP if they knew about S+S!)  
  
MElly L~~ Yep! I am continuing! Thank you for reviewing!  
  
Lady Phoenix~~ thank you for finally explaining and thanks for reviewing! I love Meiling too, so I won't make her all dumb. And maybe I like being weird. Evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil! *If you're confused, go read "Stuck"*  
  
D K~~ Thank you for the ideas and reviewing! You helped to keep this story going!  
  
ARCHANGEMON~~ I'm ever grateful for what you did for me, Fiend, and SEA. That's just the kind of harsh encouragement we need! I get so mad at people when they discontinue things now! (Though I still have a long way to go myself) Thank you!  
  
*Person that signed with a little bunny at the bottom, and had no name*~~ LOL! Kawaii bunny! Thank you for reviewing!  
  
LillSakura~~ Thanks for the support and review!  
  
VickieTori~~ I like how you reviewed, and that you did at all! YAY! Thankies! ^-^;  
  
Black Kat~~ You're so nice! Thank you for R+R-ing, and talking on AIM with me and Fiend! It's such a shame SEA doesn't have it...  
  
Yvonne~~ I thought this chapter was average-length; it's not so short like the others, so I hope you liked it! Thanks for the review!  
  
Bumblebeez~~ Spiffy name! I like how you say WOOPIE! lol. You rock. Thankz for the review! *BZZZZZZZZZ*  
  
Hana no Tenshi~~~ YOU ARE SO NICE! Thank you so much for all of the fabulous reviews on ALL of our stories! Every time you tell me just the right thing! It's reviews like yours that make me run around the house squealing in delight and then write 2 chapters in 3 hours! Thank you again!  
  
LiGirl~~ I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you so much for reviewing! *Hey everyone, LiGirl was our first real "fan"! YAY!*  
  
Nekoi~~ you rock as always! I know it was a bit confusing, and I'm sorry for that, but I believe things will be a bit smoother from here on out! Arigatou!  
  
Crazy-4-cardcaptors~~ ^-^ more chappies have come, and more will come, so smile! YAY! Arigatou gozaimasu!  
  
Dark-Lil-Angel~~ Thank you SO much for the review!!!!!! Dark Angels rock!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* That's all! Thank you again all of you wonderful people, and please keep reading our fics!  
  
Ja ne, Ryoko Fiend SEA 


	7. Chicken Noodle Soup Forgotten

Thank you for all of the reviews!  
  
Kita~~ they are! It's so fun making them like that. Makes for good fics *evil grin* yes, "trouble" IS afoot. :)  
  
Nekoi~~ ACK! OFUDAS OFUDAS! Ah oh well, I'll go back and fix it laters. ( Thanks for the review!  
  
And now, on with the show!!!!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 7- Chicken Noodle Soup Forgotten  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Last time on Together, Forever, as One::  
  
A single salt tear fell down Syaoran's cheek and landed on the burned ground beneath him. He lowered his head to Sakura's ear, noticing her amazing scent, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Sakura, but I love you."  
  
And his lips met hers.  
  
~*~and now...~*~  
  
Sakura was lost in a dream again. She felt herself falling, falling endlessly, a soft melody playing in her ears as the disappearing dragon's roar faded out. She wasn't afraid to hit the ground, she felt like she was floating. Her staff slowly drifted from her hand, her body leaving it behind as it fell faster. Finally, she hit something, but it wasn't the ground. She had been caught in two strong arms. Everything was perfect; she knew it, even though her eyes were closed.  
  
And then she felt something leaving her, something drifting out of her quickly. It was draining, and she was sinking into darkness as it left. It was her magic, her energy, slowly slipping from her body. Sakura tried to call for someone, anyone, but it was no use. She fell into complete darkness...but a light shone at the end of the black, and the light was coming closer.  
  
"I love you," she heard, and the light engulfed her.  
  
Sakura came back to consciousness to find the softest pink lips she had ever felt over hers. The rush she felt was unexplainable and she couldn't fight it off. She wanted to deepen it, share this feeling and feel these emotions forever. So she did.  
  
But the soft lips disappeared. Where had they gone to? Sakura opened her eyes in a panic, searching for what she had just experienced, but only to find her self staring into the eyes of Syaoran Li. There were tears running from those eyes. Those caring cinnamon orbs...  
  
She remembered those. They had made her fall for him; they had led her into this trap. They had created her pain.  
  
Sakura jumped from his arms, and ran. She was so scared of getting her heart broken again.  
  
She ran all the way to the mansion, hardly noticing the raindrops beginning to fall on her, and locked herself in his room. She couldn't have him. She was too scared to trust him after what had happened, but she could have his scent, his room, his clothes, at least at the moment.  
  
~The kitchen~  
  
It had just started raining a few minutes ago, and Meiling Li was cooking up one of her favorite things on this kind of day: chicken soup. She hummed a soft tune to her self as she worked, but something caught her sharp hearing that didn't quite match the song. It was the sound of crying. Meiling knew it all too well what with Syaoran around the first year he had had to leave Tomoeda. So, in this case, she also knew how to help it. Meiling grabbed two bowls, ladled some soup into each, and set off in the direction of the sobs.  
  
~back to Sakura~  
  
A knock sounded softly on the door.  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
Sakura didn't want anyone to think something was wrong, so she wiped her tears and tried to smile as she sat up in the bed.  
  
"Hai"  
  
The door opened, and Meiling's surprised face appeared. She had figured it was Syaoran, but instead Sakura sat with a desperate smile on her face and red eyes. Her hair was disheveled, and she was wearing the strangest outfit you could have ever imagined. Black and pink striped stockings, a pink skirt, and a pointed witch hat...must have been Tomoyo.  
  
Immediately, Meiling sprang to the bedside, leaving the soup on the dresser.  
  
"Oh Sakura! Are you all right!? If Syaoran hurt you I'll get him for you, I promise!"  
  
She balled her fists in anger.  
  
"No, no, Meiling, I just....." Sakura sniffled, slightly laughing at Meiling's protective attitude, "I guess I'm just scared."  
  
"Of what, hon?" Meiling said comfortingly as she sat on the bed next to Sakura.  
  
"Of...I don't know...He just...Syaoran has to be so darn perfect doesn't he?! I mean, why can't I just fall for someone else? Why can't I love someone who I can be with; who won't leave me?!" Sakura was letting her tears flow freely, sobbing into Meiling's shoulder.  
  
Meiling sighed, and looked down at the frail form in her arms. Sakura was so in love, and Meiling was standing in the middle of it. Over all of these years, Meiling had only wanted Syaoran to herself, but now, seeing Sakura like this, knowing what she had been through for the past 13 years, she made a decision, one that could change everything.  
  
"Sakura...the marriage was faked."  
  
Sakura gasped and looked up.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that when Syaoran got here, he told me he never wanted to be with me, and never would, but the elders still wanted us together. We set it up so that it wasn't quite legally correct, and the elders know nothing about it. At first, I was determined to stop the idea. I almost went to them and told, but Syaoran made sure I wouldn't. He ran the whole thing, with only slight help from Wei. Sakura," She pulled Sakura up by her shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes.  
  
"He would never do anything to hurt you, and neither would I." She let go of the frail auburn-haired girl's shoulders, and sighed looking at her feet.  
  
"He'd be too proud to cry in front of you, but he was a mess when you weren't here. For the past few days I don't know whether he's been better or worse, what with you here but not returning his love."  
  
And now Meiling caught Sakura's gaze again.  
  
"He didn't leave you, Sakura; he stayed with you this whole time. The guy does more than care about you; he loves you, truly and completely."  
  
Meiling fought to keep her own tears in check as she watched Sakura's small smile of appreciation. She looked into Meiling's mahogany eyes, and said, "Arigatou, Meiling-chan, you're a great friend to have. Maybe somehow I can make it up to him."  
  
~*~~*end chappie 7*~~*~  
  
ok, so, I thought this one was cute, that's all. (  
  
lots of love,  
  
ERJ  
  
PS: my onii-chan is so cool! (umm.yeah, that was random.bye..)  
  
*hint-hint* R+R! *hint-hint* 


	8. The Mysterious Golden Woman

You guys (and gals) are so great!! Thanks for all of the splendid reviews!  
  
*lights a packet of scoobydoo snacks on fire* MWAHAHAHAH!!!! Burn!!!! BURN!!!!  
  
Wait, I never ate the snacks inside!  
  
DON'T BURN! DON'T BURN!!!!  
  
Eheheh...anyways, here's my thanks::  
  
Sam~~ Hello newcomer! It is a shame Mei-chan isn't in the mangas.she is pretty nifty! But she can't be all jealous and evil forever! If you want some evil Meiling-ness, I can always have her talk to Eriol and Tomoyo...:)Z)*big fangz* thanks for the review!  
  
Michelle~~ Thankies! I will!  
  
Lauren~~ next chapter? Hmmm..whats that?! Oh yeah this! *dies from her own idiocy* *rezzes* thanks for the review!  
  
Lizzy~~ lol, thanks for the review and nice email. Don't worry, im not that naïve to think that the email was real.  
  
Fiend: Hey ERJ! The ceiling says "gullible"!  
  
Erj: really?!?! *looks and nothing's there*  
  
Fiend: *dying from laughter*  
  
ERJ: FIEND IM GONNA KILL YOU!!!!!!! EVIL!  
  
Eheheh...well, maybe I am just a bit..  
  
MElly L~~ yay! Nice to get another review from you and know you're following! Arigatou! (  
  
Kita~~ Ummm..i dunno...good question..*goes off planning the whole dern plot that should have been done when she started the story* Thanks for the review!!!!  
  
And now...I present to you...Together, Forever, as One!  
  
A fic by EvilRyokoJesse, Fiend, and Shadowed Eyes of an Angel--S.E.A. has her own name on ff.net! Check it out!  
  
~~**~**~**~**~~  
  
Chapter 8- The Mysterious Golden Woman  
  
~~**~**~**~**~~  
  
Sakura Kinomoto stole from her bed late that evening for after being unable to conquer the nagging absence of sleep. Her thoughts spun and reeled in her head, and everything went back to him.  
  
Chocolate cake: chocolate eyes.  
  
Dirt: messy brown hair.  
  
Flowers: how he called her his cherry blossom, and how his favorite was peony.  
  
Sunshine: the way he lit up the room when he walked in.  
  
The moon: he was the little wolf. Wolves howl to the moon.  
  
And the last one made her think of their argument that day. She had been so childish, so dimwitted to not realize his love for her. He had not come back that day after they fought the dragon, and she thought the worst things possible. Suicide, robbery, anything could have happened. He could be drunk and sleeping with some random woman he met in a bar.  
  
Sakura shook that thought away immediately. He would never do that kind of thing to her, to Mina...to himself!  
  
~* In some random bar*~  
  
(A/n: *gulps cause she's scared to write this for fear of flamers* you guessed it! But it's not exactly what you think...)  
  
Syaoran downed his 7th shot that night. His vision was blurry, and his fighting robes seemed heavy on his back. He didn't notice the stares he was getting for the strange clothing, but he could care less either way. No one in here would recognize him; they probably didn't watch political television or read the newspaper. Most were like him, drowning in there sorrows.  
  
At that moment, a blonde girl with short hair and a cheeky smile strode confidently into the bar. She had a yellow sun dress on, and if you looked closely, it seemed as if her skin was golden. She had honey-gold-colored bands on her wrists and a golden hair tie in her hair. She was chewing gum, also yellow, and still smiling that out-of-place smile as she sat down on a stool next to Syaoran.  
  
"What's up?" She asked, not seeming to care that he was obviously miserable, and opening her purse to apply some golden lipstick.  
  
He snorted at her ironic attitude in this place. "What isn't up?" he asked rhetorically. She answered anyways.  
  
"Holes, feet...most of the time...groundhogs, and obviously your spirits; what's buggin' you?" She had a slight Southern accent, but not too bad. Her voice was kind of childish actually. He could imagine her taunting someone easily. She acted like she was made for it. Yet she was being so kind...in her own little way.  
  
Syaoran sighed, and decided to spill, letting the little voice in the back of his mind, telling him she was a weirdo, drown in the alcohol he had consumed.  
  
"There's this girl..." and soon everything about Sakura and Mina and his whole situation were in the open. By the end of the story, the woman was crying softly, and whispered something, "I never knew you were so sad, Mistress..."  
  
"What did you say?" asked Syaoran, his drunkenness beginning to slightly wear off.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I asked you what you said."  
  
"Me? I didn't say anything." She was wiping her tears hastily and repacking her make-up. 'Oops, big mistake; you'll blow your cover like this...'  
  
"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said in her hurry, and began standing up.  
  
"No, wait," Syaoran said desperately, and grabbed her wrist. He needed someone to talk to...someone to take his mind off of Sakura.  
  
She wrenched her arm away from his hand on impulse, and turned to face him. She leaned down, softly putting her hand on his cheek and giving his lips a quick kiss.  
  
"She loves you, you know. Clean yourself up and go back. She's waiting."  
  
Syaoran just stood with his mouth open wide, and then he blinked, and the mysterious golden woman was gone.  
  
A deep, husky voice called him back to reality.  
  
"Hey son, you done yet? It's midnight. Ya better go back to wherever ya came from. The cops 'round here ain't too nice with peoples like you and me. Migh' take ya somewhere ya don wanna be..."  
  
Syaoran nodded, still dazed at what the woman had said. She seemed so familiar...oh well. He didn't even know her name, so it wasn't that big of a deal. All he knew was that, somehow, she was right, and he would have to go back to Sakura. He would have to make her fall for him once again.  
  
~*~*~End chappie 8~*~*~  
  
YAY! The reviews I'm getting are so inspiring! So...if you haven't figured out who that mystery woman is yet...too bad! I'll tell ya in the next chapter. Don't worry; Syao-chan doesn't REALLY sleep with some random lady.  
  
Ja ne!  
  
Ryoko Fiend  
  
SEA 


	9. Just a Random Snogging Session

Hello, ERJ here, and I wanted to say a bit before I start this chapter..as in: HIYA!!!!  
  
Lol, I have some reviews to acknowledge:  
  
Zidane~~ Konnichi wa! Like so far? Yes, I tell you who the lady is in this chapter, and OF COURSE S+S get back together! I'm not that cruel!  
  
Nekoi~~ lol I like your crazy side. A bit scary but..oh well! Hello Soujiro! Nice to meet you! Thank you for reviewing. Actually, about chapter 9, that was the longest one yet and you said it was short...whatever, you were right about chappie 7, and I apologize for it. I really just wanted it to be with Meiling and Sakura there though. It seemed like a good place to stop. Again, Arigatou gozaimasu and keep reading! You're a very good reviewer (honest to a tee ^-^).  
  
Sam~~ Hello! Hmmm..are you confused about who the girl is or what's going on in the story? I think the latter is fairly obvious, but I'm sorry if I'm doing a bad job here! Thank you for taking the time to review! ^-^  
  
Melly L~~ Yeah, it would kind of be weird for it to be Kero, but then again, as you said, cool. It isn't him though, as you'll find out in this chapter. I would picture him as more of a tomboy too. (What with all of the video games and stuff) Sorry! Arigatou for reviewing!  
  
Jenna-chan~~ Umm...hmmm..tough Sakura..can't change the plot now! Sorry doll! But I would otherwise. Thanks for the review! I'm really enjoying 'Song of the Fairies' so update soon!  
  
Well that's it for reviewers!  
  
ON WITH THE FIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(I just LOVE saying that every once in a while!)  
  
Chapter 9- Just a Random Snogging Session  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Sense Card stumbled into the room. Her face was flustered, and she looked a bit panicked like she had just run a long way.  
  
"Hey Sense. Come in, have some water."  
  
"Thank you Mistress," it said. Its voice was now soft and high-pitched, but not too high. The hint of a Southern accent was gone, and it was replaced with an English one, its natural one, as Sakura made it while she was visiting Eriol there.  
  
It walked over to the bedside table where Sakura was, and picked up the glass that Sakura had been drinking from just a minute ago. It drank deeply and, with a normal person, half of the clear liquid would have landed inside of them; but when the Sense set the glass down, there was the exact same amount inside of it there was before.  
  
"Ah, that was very refreshing," it said, and sat on Sakura's bed.  
  
"You know I don't need hydration, Mistress. Why are you so kind?"  
  
Sakura sighed and swung around to the edge of the bed next to her card.  
  
"I don't know, maybe because people have always been so kind to me and it makes me happy to see others happy..." Sakura had a sad look on her face as she said this. All those times she had let Syaoran and Meiling go off together when they were younger so Meiling would be happy, she had just been denying fate. And now, look where it had brought her. She had been alone for 5 years because she hadn't acted on her feelings, and tried to make others happy before herself.  
  
And while Sakura was thinking about this, another thought struck her, one that she hadn't realized until now. Why hadn't Syaoran ever told her his marriage with Meiling was staged?  
  
"But Mistress, I'm not human."  
  
"Yes, but I'm sure you have feelings, and, whether we like it or not, it'll all just come right back at me if I'm unkind. 'Treat others the way you would want to be treated'."  
  
Sense nodded, and Sakura stared straight ahead, her mind wandering in circles about the situation. After a few minutes of just sitting there because Sakura hadn't dismissed her card, she asked, "So, what did he say?"  
  
Sense smiled sadly. "He WAS at a bar, but he couldn't talk. He was too busy with some woman by the name of...what was it again? Oh, Katrina, and they were having a whole bunch of drunken...fun."  
  
Sense smiled mischievously, and looked over at Sakura as her emerald orbs widened and then narrowed.  
  
"Tell the truth Sense, or I'll have to make an image of the moment with Illusion myself."  
  
Sense, remembering that kiss at the end of the conversation, hurriedly opposed this and spoke of what actually took place.  
  
"No, no, that will be quite all right. Don't get your panties in a twist. He says he loves you, and he can't stop thinking about you. He says he's mad at himself for lying to you, and that he never wanted this to happen. Oh, and he also went on a whole bunch about Mina and how beautiful she is once he said everything possibly good about you over a hundred times." Sakura laughed at this.  
  
"Thanks," Sakura said, smiling. "I needed that."  
  
"No problem, doll-face."  
  
The gold-clad creature stood, gave a peace sign, and turned into yellow strands of light until it was back in the Star Card it had originated from.  
  
The auburn-haired girl knew perfectly well that Sense was exaggerating, and that his was a sad, drunken tale, but she also knew that he HAD said he was sorry, and that was the important part. The problem was that Sakura decided she still needed to know why he never told her. Maybe...maybe she just never really gave him a chance to explain himself. She hadn't had the guts to sit down and just talk as if she was a normal human being. What would she have said, anyway? How had it all begun?  
  
Well, she had handled a daughter single-handedly (with Tomoyo's camera and baby clothing on the side) for five years. She had juggled a crying, yelling, learning, running, eating, speaking, screaming, tantrum-throwing, spaghetti-mess-making baby girl with a low-paying job. She had turned an infant into a young girl, and taught her how to be kind, gentle, courageous, understanding, and witty, even without the love of her life: that child's father.  
  
He did nothing. He didn't call, didn't write, didn't visit, nor sent gifts. And now... How had she even found herself in Hong Kong, China in the first place?  
  
Oh yes, that's right. Her daughter, her brilliantly stubborn and heart- following daughter, ran off to find her father. But didn't she say she had won a contest of some sort? The only reason she wanted to go was to see him.  
  
And then, she saw so much of Syaoran in Mina's eyes too. There was the powerful magic, the determination, the stubborn need to protect their loved ones, and the thirst for battle. Minako had loved action-adventure books since she had learned how to read.  
  
But Mina also held all of the kindness and simple enjoyment of life that Sakura had. She could fall asleep in a bed of flowers, smiling whilst she dreamed. She could find the best in every situation, and make the most boring times extremely fun.  
  
Mina had inherited so much from both Sakura and Syaoran, but Sakura was surprised she hadn't learned anything from her Aunt Tomoyo (Aunt because, as Tomoyo put it, Godmother made her 'sound like a grandma'). Little did she know...  
  
~*Mina, with...guess who. :)Z) *~  
  
"But Aunt Tomoyo, she'll never fall for it."  
  
"Fall for it? Oh Minako-chan, my darling, there is something I believe your mom hasn't let on to you yet."  
  
Mina gave her a confused look.  
  
"Sakura-chan, as wonderful as she is, is extremely naïve."  
  
Eriol just sat in his huge comfy chair behind them and sighed, wiping his face with his hands and rolling his eyes.  
  
"Women..."  
  
*~Back to Syao-chan ^-^~*  
  
Syaoran thought about the strange woman's words.  
  
'She loves you, you know. Clean yourself up and go back. She's waiting.'  
  
What had THAT meant?  
  
He kicked an empty cola can on the cement in front of him, his hands in the pockets of his tan jacket. He had left the bar fifteen minutes ago, and was thinking about that night's weird happenings.  
  
Today was definitely...different.  
  
As he was walking Syaoran noticed something in front of him. It was a small piece of paper, and something was typed on it in red ink. Normally, he never picked up dirty pieces of paper on the ground, but something drew him to it, and he felt like he was meant to see what it said.  
  
So he bent over and retrieved it, wondering why the heck he was doing it. He realized it was one of those 'Chinese fortunes' the tourists bring. They get them from restaurants in America somewhere.  
  
On the front, in English letters, it read:  
  
Fear is the enemy of true love.  
  
Syaoran raised an eyebrow at it. What was THAT supposed to mean?  
  
He turned it over, hoping to find an answer. The other side said:  
  
Cherry blossom~ Sakura- pronounced 'Sah-koo-rah.'  
  
And then the Chinese characters for cherry blossom were at the bottom.  
  
Ironic, and fitting...  
  
Syaoran knew just what was happening. Life was screaming in his face, and he didn't want to hear it. It was like your mom telling you to go to bed early, and you know you'll be tired in the morning, but, right now, all you want to do is stay up and play video games. Well, Syaoran was playing Super Mario Brothers, and losing. What was the point of doing what you shouldn't do if you're not getting anywhere?  
  
The point was he was scared. He didn't want to go to bed, because there were monsters under the bed, in the closet, making shadows...  
  
Sakura was the comfy bed, and the monsters were his apology. The shadows were his guilt and her anger and sadness that would form.  
  
He would have to go to sleep some time.  
  
Syaoran folded the paper, put it in his back pocket, and went back to his car.  
  
He would sleep soundly tonight and dream of an angel.  
  
~*the palace/mansion/thingy where Syao-kun lives...*confuzzled**~  
  
"PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAASE MOMMY? I wanna see you swim!"  
  
Sakura sighed. She had been on the swim team as a teenager, and when 'Aunt Tomoyo' had told little Minako of this, the young girl was determined to witness her mother's skill.  
  
"Mina, I'm not all that great..."  
  
"Oh shut up Mommy, and get in the pool!" Mina was getting angry.  
  
Sakura raised her eyes, a bit shocked at Mina's exclamation.  
  
"Well, if it's that important to you..."  
  
"Thanks mommy!"  
  
Sakura smiled and began taking her bathrobe off, revealing her bare shoulders and the straps of one of Meiling's swimsuits.  
  
"Oh wait!"  
  
Sakura quickly pulled her robe back on. It was cold out, and if she could get out of this...  
  
"I forgot to get you a towel! I'll be back in a few minutes, you just go ahead and start, ok mommy?"  
  
Sakura sighed, defeated, and nodded.  
  
Unknown to the emerald-eyed woman, Mina wasn't really getting a towel, but heading behind the bushes to talk to her partner in crime.  
  
"Now, all we have to do is wait for the Little Wolf. Nice one, my little prodigy," Tomoyo said slyly behind a nearby bush as she pulled out her camcorder.  
  
"I know I'm wonderful, Aunt Tomoyo, I learned from the best." Mina grinned wickedly and pulled out a smaller, identical video camera of her own.  
  
~*~  
  
Syaoran parked his car and got out, running a nervous hand through his hair. He walked through the front door and into the bathroom, where he washed his face and shook his head to wake up from his inebriated night. The pain in his head had faded about an hour before, and left him very tired. He brushed his teeth and sighed, then began towards the stairs.  
  
But, out of the corner of his eye, Syaoran saw something move to his right, outside of the large sliding glass doors. A silhouette of a woman taking off a long bath robe was seen. He couldn't see her features clearly, but it was enough to take his breath away.  
  
He snuck closer, wondering who it could be. Was it Meiling? Tomoyo? They were too slim to be one of his sisters...  
  
He snickered at the thought. Those four nuisances really were getting old...  
  
He shouldn't have gotten any closer...what if he was caught?  
  
Caught? Where had that thought come from? He was just innocently finding out who was in his backyard...right?  
  
Well, it was a good alibi.  
  
He watched as the figure turned and walked towards the clear-blue water in the pool, illuminated by lights underneath the surface.  
  
Who the heck would swim at such a late hour? She dived in, her movements perfectly controlled, and he watched the water encase her in a silvery-blue rush. She swam deeper, her face away from him, and her long hair flowed like silk in the water. He was fascinated by the graceful, mermaid-like movements.  
  
And then Syaoran thought of something. He concentrated on the figure before him, and he found himself reading her aura easily.  
  
It was Sakura. Why hadn't he seen it before? It was so obvious.  
  
She began doing fast laps around the pool. She wouldn't see him.  
  
He walked to the edge.  
  
So what should he do now? He had to say something to her...anything.  
  
"S-Sakura?" he called tentatively. She didn't hear him.  
  
"Sakura"  
  
..... ... ...  
  
"SAKURA!"  
  
He spoke as loud as he dared in the night, but by then she had dipped underwater and was diving into a handstand.  
  
'Wow, she has nice legs...'  
  
Syaoran felt his jaw drop slightly as he watched her.  
  
'AHH!!! What am I doing?' He thought. 'Ah well, we WERE married.'  
  
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He really needed to talk to her, and the only way to get her attention was to wait until she was tired or stop her physically...  
  
Syaoran went upstairs to change into his bathing suit.  
  
~*~  
  
Once back by the pool, he grinned evilly. He had been thinking of just what to do, and this seemed appropriate. Sakura was one to forgive easily, but he still wanted to make his point well.  
  
Slipping a water ofuda (Thankies again, Nekoi!) into his swim shorts' pocket, he slowly slid into the cool, clear-blue liquid and paddled to the edge where Sakura would end up sooner or later.  
  
She was doing laps underwater, holding her breath for as long as possible, and wondering what Mina thought of her swimming abilities. She was unaware of the muscular bare chest in front of~  
  
OOMF  
  
Sakura lost the hold on her breath as she hit Syaoran's chest and her eyes opened wide in shock as she resurfaced. What could have~  
  
"Hello, my Cherry Blossom. I see you've been taking a midnight swim. Did I startle you?" he asked in a tempting voice. Sakura felt herself loving it as shivers ran up and down her spine. His fingers traveled to her bare back and up her spine, increasing the shivers to small jolts of wonderful lightning. She was dizzy with his touch and closed her eyes, when she realized what was happening.  
  
"Wha-what are you d-doing here...Li?" She couldn't trust herself to call him Syaoran at the moment.  
  
"I came to apologize."  
  
Sakura was a bit surprised, but she was so glad this was happening.  
  
His strong hand left her back and reached into his pocket for his ofuda.  
  
Her skin suddenly felt extremely cold under the water.  
  
"Water," he whispered near her ear, for they were by now extremely close, and, in Syaoran's hand beneath the surface, the water worked together to form a flower, where it froze in a perfect rose position. He revealed the element's masterpiece slowly, and gave it to Sakura as he placed his arm around her waist so that she could hold it.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat. She had no idea he had this much gentle, detailed power over the ofudas.  
  
"I've been practicing since I left so many years ago and arrived in Hong Kong. I knew I would have to make it up to you. For five years with out a father, husband, or soul mate with you, a simple flower won't fix anything, but.." He bit his lip. He didn't know how she would react to this. "I was hoping that you would accept me again, to fulfill that role..."  
  
She smiled, her eyes dancing with love and happiness.  
  
"You wouldn't..." Sakura was so amazed that she didn't know what to say.  
  
He gulped, worried that his gallant apology wasn't working. If only he knew...  
  
"OH SYAORAN THIS IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING I'D EVER HOPED FOR!!!!!!!"  
  
His look of concern broke from his face and a crazy, love-struck smile overcame his features. Sakura, in her ecstasy, flung her arms around her beloved. And then, after burying her head in his glorious cinnamon-brown hair, she pulled her head back, her mouth lost its smile, and an almost curious look of longing replaced it.  
  
Syaoran was grinning, no, smirking, as her soft pink lips reached his. It was so gentle a kiss, but held so much passion. Time had seemed to stop, and Syaoran felt his lips tingle with a fire that had been dormant in his heart for way too long.  
  
Sakura pulled back, lost for words.  
  
"I.."  
  
He silenced her with his lips.  
  
And then it deepened, and Syaoran noted that Sakura still tasted like fresh- picked strawberries after a rainstorm.  
  
Her fingers entwined themselves in his hair as were his in her chocolate locks. Oh, how she had been longing for this for so many years! It was as if she was being filled again, as if the part of her that she left back in Tomoeda Elementary school when she first fell for Syaoran was returning to her. When she opened her eyes and broke from the man in front of her the stars shined brighter, the moon cast a more brilliant, silver light, and Syaoran's eyes shone with a brilliance that had also been left with their 12-year-old selves.  
  
(A/n: ok, please don't ask me how they stayed floating. Let's just...say they were in the shallow end! Yeah, that's it! Ack, I'm sorry. I tried to fix it but they kind of needed to have their hands all over each other to make it the way I wanted it to be, lol.)  
  
~*~  
  
"OH SYAORAN THIS IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING I'D EVER HOPED FOR!!!!!!!"  
  
Meiling, Eriol, Feimei, Fuutie, Fanren, and Shiefa sat up straight in their respectable beds, eyes wide.  
  
"NANI?!?!!?!?"  
  
Each was thinking their own thoughts about the yell coming from the pool area, and soon every one of them had rushed to the aforementioned place.  
  
Each woman's eyes glazed over and sparkled as they sighed, "Kawaii!!" simultaneously.  
  
Eriol just mumbled, supposedly too tired for this sort of thing, "Mou, it's just a random snogging session. We knew they would get together soon enough." But he was smiling and there was a glimmer in the azure depths of his eyes.  
  
Tomoyo and Minako were rolling on the ground, laughing until they were in tears at the way Sakura had presented her feelings. Good old Sakura: always cheerful.  
  
~*~  
  
Eventually, the two camcorder-wielding blackmail-taping fiends popped from the foliage and ran over to the friends and family still happily witnessing the two lovebirds staring into the other's eyes.  
  
And then, Sakura heard something from the corner of her mind.  
  
Was that...clapping?  
  
Both she and Syaoran looked up simultaneously to find almost the whole mansion (save the elders) standing before them and applauding them in the middle of the night.  
  
"H-HOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!?!?!?!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
YAY! Next chapter Tomoyo, Eriol, and Mina reveal to everyone how they plotted and got Syaoran and Sakura together!  
  
Plus, everyone faces the evil ELDERS!!!  
  
DUHNDUHNDUHN!!!!  
  
It'll prob. be the last chappie though! *cry*  
  
Love forever,  
  
~*ERJ & Fiend  
  
PS: My Rabid Mongoose Dog (MRMD) says "Hi!" and reminds everyone that flames shall be used to toast marshmallows! (But you can yell at us for not writing cause that means you like the story and were sad a chapter wasn't up. Just don't be too harsh. ^-^;;;) 


	10. May Your Wish be Granted and AN

66 reviews!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *does a little dance* I love you peoples...  
  
Anywho, now that I've finished my crazed little happiness routine, I'll talk about these reviews.  
  
Hana no Tenshi-- *gives a cookie and some watermelon sour patch kids* you're the fiftieth reviewer! That means you're special for a week and you get good food from me! Also, you get a long rant from me pertaining to your reviews whether you want it or not (this prob. will be said again). And if anyone's reading this it goes out to everyone else too, I'm just kind of putting it under Eva's name.  
  
*ahem* *hug* I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess you wouldn't know this, but I happen to be an EXTREMELY forgetful person (they say my wires are crossed..whatever...) so I happened to forget that you wanted to be emailed!!!!! I'm SORRY!!!! ..again. But, being the wonderful, faithful person you are, you came back and reviewed when I DID finally email you! Thankies!!!  
  
Continuing with what you said...I know I wanted to take Syao-chan too! Eheheh...but I don't think you reviewers would really like that, would you? *angry Syaoran fans with pitch forks* I thought not. Also, I'm DEFINITELY agreeing about the pool. Those were my thoughts exactly as I wrote it and then short-circuited my keyboard from drooling over the little wolf. Ah well, we're all fan girls at heart. ^-^  
  
Finally, I may sound conceited saying this, but I'm in love with that part about Tomoyo and Mina and the matching camcorders. It kind of popped into existence from my fingers without thinking about it, and I found myself cracking up and smirking for a while. Tomoyo is just too fun. I love it.  
  
*sigh* so now I must conclude this long rant to you. *sigh again* I like having an excuse to rant to people and they cant stop me...it's enjoyable. ^-^ And you've been very kind so I figure you should get one of these fun little thingies. Hey, I was wondering, have you been reading Ginzuisho? PLEASE DO!!!!!!!!!!!! I love that fic. It's hard to write, being so complicated, but it's so fun: lots of violence and danger and especially romance. ^-^ I know, I'm strange. They've all said it before...or some synonym of the word.  
  
Peace out!!! (Don't forget to review this last chappie! Wow, I just made it seem so...ended. I'm scaring myself. *hides*)  
  
Lizzy-HELLO!!!!!! Eheheh...hi. Kawaii=cute...*thinks*...that's good!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! Thanks SOOO much for a review! I feel appreciated!!!!!  
  
Zidane-Glad someone laughed! Thanks for reviewing! PS: You snorted! People that snort are fun...^-^especially in restaurants. (I'm thinking randomly. Just ignore the insanity.*grin*)  
  
Jenna-chan-YAY! *hugs plushy of dense Sakura* I'm sorry, I really tried but I just couldn't! This fic is kind of for my own sweet-sugar fluff pleasure...so I couldn't do it. Again, I'm sorry. About Eriol and Tomoyo fluff...I'll talk to Fiend about it. I wanted to put some in, but didn't know how. She has all the ideas for these things (the brains of the outfit, obviously) so she'll ponder and come up with something lovely as lovely...I hope. Thanks for the review! (Lol, that reminds me, I was singing 'Domo arigatou Mr. Roboto' today in math class. I really am ridiculous...but it was stuck in my head. -_-U)  
  
Okay! Finally done with that! And, just for your clarification, the chapter isn't written yet and this is right before I'm going to sleep. You see, I always start with the author's note then see how it plays out from there. It kind of sets the mood for writing, but my mom is making me sleep now, so that went down the drain. Ah well, till tomorrow (another boring Thursday where nothing happens except I daydream about fanfics! WOW! I have no life...)!  
  
Ja ne!  
  
~*~ Ah, it's another day! So, as usual.....  
  
ON WITH THE FIC!!!!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 10- May Your Wish Be Granted  
  
~*~*~*~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
And then, Sakura heard something from the corner of her mind.  
  
Was that...clapping?  
  
Both she and Syaoran looked up simultaneously to find almost the whole mansion (save the elders) standing before them and applauding them in the middle of the night.  
  
"H-HOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!?!?!?!"  
  
Everyone laughed, and then a sly, feminine voice pierced the night air.  
  
"Well, I guess we'll just leave you two. You seem to be pretty...occupied," Fuutie said mischievously.  
  
Everyone grinned.  
  
"Yeah, maybe even...naughty?" Shiefa inquired suggestively.  
  
"Or ...dirty?" Fanren added, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"Oh, hurry it along you two," Tomoyo scolded, "Stop being such children."  
  
But the words were lined with insincerity, and the lavender-haired maiden had a smirk of her own as she winked at Sakura, who was sitting on Syaoran's lap.  
  
Both were blushing from head to toe.  
  
~*~  
  
By the time everyone had gone, Sakura had delicately lifted herself off of Syaoran's lap and gotten out of the pool. She proceeded to drying herself off with a soft, fluffy green towel, and going into the small bathroom to change. Syaoran did the same, going to the men's bathroom. When each emerged, they looked at each other sheepishly, thinking of what had just happened.  
  
"They really are nosy, ne?" Syaoran asked tentatively.  
  
"H-hai..."  
  
Syaoran grinned, taking her hand at her bashful look. They walked slowly up the winding stairs in silence, and soon they had reached the top of the stairs, and stood in front of Sakura's bedroom door.  
  
"You know, I really did mean what I said back there, at the pool," Syaoran said, putting his arms around her waist in a hug.  
  
His voice was soft, and deep, and his breath caressed her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine.  
  
"Syaoran..."  
  
"It's okay, I'm here."  
  
Her voice just urged him on as he left short, sweet kisses on her neck, moving his way to her mouth, where he paused, staring into her emerald orbs. She was pinned against her door, his arms on either side of her.  
  
"I love you."  
  
And their lips met, Sakura releasing everything again, all the pain in her heart, letting him deepen the kiss and tease her tongue. When they finally broke apart for air Sakura had only half-realized the situation.  
  
"I've got to..." Sakura stumbled, as he looked at her with expecting eyes.  
  
"Go to bed.." Syaoran looked down. "I know. The Elders will come in the morning; we've got to be prepared."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Then I'll see you tomorrow. You'll be in my dreams."  
  
He kissed her lips again lightly, and she closed her eyes.  
  
"I don't want this to end," she whispered breathlessly, desperately.  
  
"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, it won't."  
  
And he left soundlessly down the long hallway leaving a flustered, emerald- eyed woman in his wake.  
  
~*~  
  
Sakura didn't wake up to the sound of Tomoyo singing, to Meiling cooking bacon, to Mina giggling, or to Syaoran holding her against his bare chest. The mansion was silent...too silent. It was as if every soul had simply fled and left Sakura as the only conscious person within 50 miles.  
  
And then it hit her. Today was the day that the Elders arrived. They had been gone on political business on the other side of China for the past week, and just now were returning to their home and clan.  
  
Sakura then also remembered the night before.....She touched her lips with the tips of her delicate fingers, smiling slightly. She glanced over towards her dresser, and found the ice flower was sitting there, just as she remembered it.  
  
She found a new hope in that flower, and felt herself wake up just a bit more. Everything would be okay. Syaoran was there for her no matter what.  
  
Sakura slid her thin form from underneath her silky, pink sheets and stood in front of the mirror.  
  
Breathing deep, she readied herself. 'Today WILL be good.'  
  
She put her hands into her hair and twisted her fingers through it, searching for a style that fit her. She had always just left it in one ponytail since Syaoran had left, but she felt like she needed spunk today...of course! She opened the drawer by her right leg and reached in, shoving old photos and random hair ties to the side.  
  
'Aha,' she thought, and pulled out two skinny hair ties with red marble spheres that looked like cherries. She tied them into her hair in two pigtails, listening to the little clack as she wrapped them, and grinned broadly. She felt so complete like that, and looked much younger. She looked down at her pink nightgown, and almost giggled remembering getting ready for school and leaving only her pajama bottoms on as she went to breakfast. Instead, she pulled out her Create Card and gently woke it up.  
  
"Create, are you in there?" The card peeked the tip of its head out from the pink paper.  
  
"It's ok, I just need an outfit," Sakura said softly.  
  
It rose further so that its whole head was in the room.  
  
"M-Mistress, you're not angry? The last time you used me was~"  
  
"It's ok, I'm not angry. I'm sorry for how I acted."  
  
Create smiled and sniffed the air.  
  
"It's ok. You smell like him."  
  
Sakura grinned sheepishly and blushed.  
  
"Oh, you're so cute, I can't avoid forgiving you. Come on Mistress, ever since Miss Tomoyo showed me how to style clothes, I've been itching to do more designing. After all, that's what I was created for!"  
  
The Card floated to the closet and opened the doors to find a closet full of pink, frilly skirts and shirts that were outgrown years ago.  
  
Create clicked its tongue. "This wont do at all, you've grown too much, Mistress! How about..."  
  
It traced a dress in the air complete with shoes, a necklace, and earrings. As it materialized Sakura saw it had black sequins and a long slit up the leg. The earrings and necklace had a cherry blossom on them, and the top was very low-cut.  
  
The amber-haired girl winced.  
  
"I'm seeing the Elders today, Create, I don't want to imagine what they would say if I wore that..."  
  
The Card blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry! I thought...well, never mind what I thought."  
  
She wiped away the dress and made a long, blue kimono with a purple bow and intricate peach blossom designs on it.  
  
Sakura smiled, and clapped her hands together. "It's wonderful!"  
  
Create felt very proud. "Arigatou Sakura-sama. I think it suits you."  
  
Just then, Sakura felt something. "M-my book~"  
  
The Clow book was glowing, so Sakura opened it, curious. The Light card quickly slipped from the stack and popped its head from her card. 'Since when could they do that? Don't I have to release them?' Sakura wondered frantically.  
  
"I'm so sorry to disturb you, Mistress, but don't you think that the color should be a bit lighter? It would bring out your beautiful hair color and~"  
  
"No! Her bow has to be a deeper purple!" Dark had released itself too. Sakura was a bit startled, but knew Dark had always been a bit outgoing.  
  
"Why don't we just see how each looks?" cried the Illusion as it, too, appeared in the room. "We have to make a good impression for the Elders, or Sakura will never see Master Syaoran again!"  
  
"I agree, Illusion, and might I add that those should be cherry blossoms, not peach blossoms?"  
  
Flowery had joined the crowd, and before she knew it, all of the cards had emerged and continued arguing and playing with Sakura's outfit. The emerald- eyed woman simply smiled and twirled in each new design, happier than she had been in a long time.  
  
~*~  
  
An hour later, Sakura Kinomoto emerged from her bedroom in a light green kimono with a pale pink bow and matching pale pink cherry blossoms decorating the silky fabric. She wore no earrings and no necklace. Her feet were covered with white socks and simple brown sandals, and her hair was up in the famous Sakura pigtails, but this time they were in little swirl buns and the marbles on the hair ties were pastel green to match her kimono.  
  
The Cards crowded at the door and smiled mischievously as Sakura walked cautiously, wondering if she looked too fancy. She made a mental note to not let Tomoyo borrow the Cards again: it was dangerous.  
  
She descended the green-carpeted stairs to the kitchen and found Meiling cooking breakfast. She had missed the sizzle of bacon and aroma of eggs in the rush and nervousness of her outfit.  
  
Meiling turned with a frying pan in her hand, and almost dropped the contents when she saw Sakura.  
  
"WAI! Sakura-chan, you look wonderful! Are you ready for today?" she asked rapidly as Sakura tried to stutter an answer.  
  
"Oh, never mind that, do you want any breakfast? I made bacon and eggs!"  
  
Sakura merely sat at the long, cedar table and placed her napkin in her lap while Meiling quickly scooped helpings of food onto the plates and began washing the pots and pans in a frenzy. Sakura had never known Meiling ran a kitchen so...anxiously!  
  
As Sakura began nibbling quietly, but happily, on her toast, Syaoran descended the stairs, casually swinging himself with his right hand on the banister as he turned off of the last step. He wore his ceremonial Chinese robes (they had been in the family for years), and looked very official, despite the fact that his hair remained unruly.  
  
Sakura blushed as he walked in the room. It was a childish thing to do, she knew, but she didn't care very much, and couldn't do much to stop it. He was just so handsome...  
  
"Ah, Xiao-chan, your seat is right here!"  
  
Syaoran gave Meiling a warning glare at the '-chan', but then obligingly sat down next to Sakura as Meiling had ordered.  
  
'Doesn't Syaoran know where he sits?' Sakura pondered. 'And Meiling just happened to direct him right next to my seat...' Her nerves rose even further. What would he say about last night? Had it all been a dream? No, she had seen the flower just that morning. She knew he loved her.  
  
Sakura smiled at him over her food, and he grinned back as she felt his hand slip over hers under the table. He squeezed it gently, and she inwardly sighed with relief. 'It wasn't a dream. We're finally together.'  
  
~*~  
  
Syaoran Li walked quietly into the room, his face set. His lips were a thin, pink line and his eyes shined with determination.  
  
"So, Li Syaoran," addresses a man in his sixties, "I would like to ask: why have you called a meeting so suddenly? I thought surely you could have at least waited, if something needs to be discussed, until a few days after the trip. Do you have a question? I'm sure I can help you."  
  
Koji Kaine sat at a long, wooden table in a cold, stone room. The only lights were small balls of trapped lightning set in glass containers on the walls. The Elders tended to enjoy showing off their powers.  
  
"Actually, honored Kaine-sama, I have not come out of anxiety, nor to ask for your advice as a leader. I come because I have a request."  
  
"But~"  
  
Syaoran held up a hand to stop Koji's interruption.  
  
"This is such a request that you will never find a match in the ancient scrolls. I will be brief and honest. For a woman to assist in leading the Li clan may be perfectly acceptable, but for a woman to lead~"  
  
"Syaoran, where do you think you're going with this?"  
  
The warning in the older man's voice was clear, and Syaoran knew he knew it was about Sakura.  
  
"If I may ask, let me speak, please?" Syaoran growled at them as he glared. They always cut him off like that. It was annoying.  
  
Koji waved an impatient hand in the air.  
  
"Yes, yes, continue."  
  
"Good. Now, as I was saying, the idea of a woman leading the Li clan is highly spoken against, correct?"  
  
"Of course!" a man next to Koji exclaimed. "There hasn't been such an idea in all of the clan's time!"  
  
"What about Yelan Li?" the third Elder at the table challenged, remembering the woman's long, black hair and wise eyes. She had been a very admirable woman, and had helped run the clan well.  
  
"Yes, Kaine, what about my mother? You never gave her much respect, if I recall correctly, and she was a wonderful leader, even through all o the grief you gave her!"  
  
Koji simply countered the attack in a patient voice, as if teaching a spoiled two-year-old to share. "Li...you mother was an amazing woman. She was incredibly strong magically as well as spiritually! The clan couldn't help but have her be an authoritative figure, and even then, as the strongest, she was not at the pinnacle of power here. Yelan had never been a leader, merely a...co-leader. She had free reigns, and plenty of power, but anything done was first consulted with us. She didn't have a husband to support her, and she couldn't have handled it on her own!"  
  
Syaoran found his self getting angry. The way they were talking about his mother! But they had said that she hadn't had a husband to support her. That might work for him. He fingered something idly in the pocket of his robes, praying this would work.  
  
"What if I had a woman with the same spiritual and magical power as Yelan, maybe even stronger? Would she be allowed to lead next to me? Would you allow yourselves to trust someone I trust, just this once?"  
  
Syaoran waited for the answer, watching wheels turn in balding heads, until the man at the end of the table, #4 in the row of Elders, named Seru, spoke.  
  
He was extremely wrinkly, and had a ruffled voice like he had been sucked up into a vacuum and then blown out again rather roughly. He had a big, bushy mustache, and a lot of time you couldn't see his eyes behind the wrinkles.  
  
"Little Wolf, I have known you for many, many years. I remember you as a child, running around in Yelan's kimonos." He chuckled as Syaoran blushed; causing the man's hidden eyes to flash with knowing. "I also remember that signature blush...Rudolph...isn't that what Meiling used to call you?"  
  
"H-hai"  
  
"Yes, that was it, but you left, didn't you? Right off to Tomoeda, Japan at the age of ten in search of the Clow Cards; you met her there, and, by the time she had created the Sakura Cards, you had fallen in love with her."  
  
Here the 4th Elder paused, and Koji took the time to yell his protest.  
  
"Are you implying this has something to do with that Kinomoto girl again?! I warned Li to stay away from her, and here you're talking about nonsense like love, Seru! He is NOT asking for HER to be the leader of our clan, and is most definitely NOT in LOVE!"  
  
Seru's eyes simply twinkled as his mustache twitched mischievously, until Syaoran's strong, clear voice echoed into the room.  
  
"Actually, I am, and I am. And I am also awaiting your answer to my question: may I have your consent for Sakura Kinomoto, as my soul mate, my friend, and the Mistress of the Cards, rule the Li Family Clan as my equal?"  
  
Seru smiled, though it was kind of hard to interpret his emotions behind the mustache, and the rest of the Elders gawked. This was the last thing that they had expected, and couldn't come up with an answer. The room was eerily cold and silent.  
  
And, then, a small, gentle voice drifted into the room, and a hesitant toe stepped through the doorway. It was of a woman's foot, covered in brown sandals and white socks.  
  
"May I also make this request, O Honored Elders?" she said tentatively.  
  
Koji wrinkled his nose in disgust. "This is the Kinomoto woman you have been talking about, Syaoran? I see she has the eyes you described so well, and her aura is indeed cherry blossom pink."  
  
Syaoran blushed and nodded. Sakura merely tried to calm her anger at being treated so unfairly by the elders. She hadn't been acknowledged at all! So she cleared her throat.  
  
"Excuse me, but..." She gulped as their tired eyes fell on her. "I believe that I entered this room respectfully. Both Syaoran and I have requested something, and you have yet to give us an answer. Either speak to us as human beings or..." She looked from the stunned men to her ex-husband. Syaoran solemnly moved his head up and down. She took a deep breath.  
  
'You can do this, Sakura,' she thought frantically, 'He's counting on you.'  
  
"Or..."  
  
The youngest and closest Elder to her smiled and awaited her speech patiently.  
  
"Or Syaoran and I will leave, and never come back. You will have to find a new leader, and it will have to be a complete stranger. We'll settle together somewhere where you wont be able to find us~"  
  
The second Elder down the table started to speak. "But we have MUCH more magic than~"  
  
Sakura gave a look unfamiliar to her fragile face. "You KNOW how strong Syaoran and I are. You trained him, and have been watching me. You don't have half the power we do, even combined. Face it, you need us."  
  
"But you're a~"  
  
"A what? A woman? I believe you have seen what one woman can do, and were intimidated by her power. You kept her from her full potential, and drowned out the idea that she could help you, finding refuge in her only son after four women. These people were never blessed with magic, and you were relieved by this. Yet then you turned to Syaoran, and you could train him harder than ever, and make him the single leader of the clan. Well, I'm sorry, but *HE* fell in love with *ME*, and *I* fell in love with *HIM*, and we had our *OWN CHILD*! I DON'T QUITE THINK THAT YOU *REALISE* WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE FOR YEARS, *ALONE*, LOVING AND NURTURING AN *INFANT*, AND I DON'T THINK YOU CARE!!!!"  
  
The room was silent.  
  
Sakura had been screaming, her rage and pain at being alone for so long tearing out of her heart in the cold room. Syaoran had come up next to her, trying to put an arm around her, but she pushed him away. She wasn't about to break down so easily in front of these ridiculous men. They had come too far. She owed it to Mina, to herself, and to Syaoran.  
  
She stood, wiping the tears roughly from her eyes, and staring into the shocked faces of each of them. She glared with all of her might, the way Syaoran had when he had tried to steal the Cards from her on that first day. She was determined.  
  
"Now," she said, drawing in a shaking breath, "I remember asking for something, and I expect you to give it to me. I want to be with the person I love, and I want to lead this clan."  
  
Koji was astonished. Sabasi was amazed. Kihana was impressed. And Seru...  
  
The wise, aged man stood and walked slowly up to Sakura. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, afraid to turn away from the others. Syaoran stood in the corner of the room, worried, but still.  
  
Seru situated himself with a plunk of his cane right in front of Sakura. She kept her eyes focused, those strong, glittering emerald orbs, in the exact same place.  
  
And then Seru reached out to her, and took her face in his hands, forcing Sakura's eyes on him.  
  
Everyone waited for what seemed like an eternity, until Seru spoke. He was the leader of the leaders, and his decision would determine everything.  
  
"May your wish," He smiled here and Sakura couldn't help but smile nervously back. He had the same eyes as Syaoran, but full of so much happiness.  
  
"Be granted."  
  
Her eyes widened. They were together! This was it! SYAORAN LI AND SAKURA KINOMOTO WERE NOW THE OFFICIAL LEADERS OF THE LI CLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!" She kissed the top of Seru's balding head, and ran to each Elder in a sweeping hug, as Syaoran smiled, his heart swelling in love for this crazy woman.  
  
When she finally came round the table and reached Syaoran, she slowed, and looked into his eyes. A hand touched her cheek, and she blushed.  
  
"You were wonderful," he said softly, and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss, dipping her for effect.  
  
Had you been there, and walked out of the room, you would have been confronted by a huge mob of relatives, friends, and even one small child, her brown hair and emerald eyes a dead giveaway as to who she was.  
  
Said girl snuck up behind her father, and attacked him, seizing him around the neck and kissing his cheek.  
  
He grinned and turned to look at his daughter, pulling Sakura up to her feet as well, and then bent down to let Mina get off his back. The small girl ran to her mother, who was looking down at her. But instead of reacting to Sakura's loving gaze, Mina directed the woman's attention elsewhere, and what Sakura hadn't seen before was now apparent.  
  
Syaoran had bent down on one knee.  
  
He had a velvet, pink box in one hand.  
  
He was about to propose.  
  
Sakura put a hand to her heart, eyes widening and lips curved into a smile.  
  
"Kami-sama.."  
  
Syaoran smirked at her reaction.  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto, will you, the one woman I have loved and cherished since sixth grade,"  
  
Sakura giggled at this.  
  
"Be with me now and always..." he gulped, fully aware of the now-silent room and peering eyes, "as my wife."  
  
Sakura's smile, if possible, grew, and she flung herself into his arms.  
  
"Of course!!"  
  
"That a yes?" he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Indefinitely"  
  
"FINALLY!" Mina exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air in mock exasperation. "I was beginning to think it would never happen! What it takes to put you two TOGETHER! Jeez!"  
  
Sakura looked down at the 10-year-old. "Forever," she reminded, and let Syaoran wrap his arm around her waist.  
  
The cinnamon-haired man glanced at the grinning Elders, and then at his own daughter.  
  
"As one"  
  
And Mina ran in between the two, lost in the family's bone-crushing hug.  
  
~~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~  
  
WAHAHAHAHAH! IT'S OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Oh my. It's over.  
  
OH MY FREAKING GOSH FINISHED MY FIRST FANFIC AND IT'S NOT HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
*faints*  
  
*Tomoyo splashes cold water on her face*  
  
Whew. Ok, I'm back. So...uh...oh! I wanted to tell you how I was thinking of ending it but couldn't figure out how to write it. You see, in the second CCS movie, it begins with Sakura in this awesome fight scene, but then you find out it's one of Tomoyo's tapes because her hands show over the picture and clap.  
  
I thought it would be really cool to have it like Tomoyo was filming the ending, and they were all looking back on it, but maybe that's just how I'll begin the sequel...(which, mind you, isn't going to be done until all the other fics are finished!)  
  
Yes, I think Fiend and I shall attempt a sequel, though it will be awhile until we do. Look for lots of Mina/????????-ness in that, :)  
  
So, I guess this is goodbye, and...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!  
  
I dun wanna leave you guys! You've all been so kind! *hysterically hugs reviewers*  
  
*Fiend pries her off with a crow bar*  
  
Fiend: Stop being so sappy or I'll send you to St. Mungo's.  
  
ERJ: *sniffle* FINE, but I'll miss it.  
  
Fiend: Well, now that the editing is finished, more time for other fics.  
  
ERJ: Hmm..okies! *skips off merrily to work*  
  
Peace out folks! Hope to see your reviews in some of our other fics!!!!!  
  
R+R!!!!!!!!!  
  
Love *sniff*, love *sniff*, love *sniff*, love *sniff*, love *Fiend: RYOKO, LEAVE!!!!!!!*  
  
Err.. Love,  
  
Evil Ryoko Jesse & Fiend  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------  
  
Ok, sorry about this huge ending, but fanfiction.net doesn't allow chapters that consist entirely of Author Notes form now on. So we had to change it to go here. And everything was so organized too... ;_;  
  
Hello folks! It's nice to know that we've completely completed this fic finally! It has, as you can see, been edited (most of the chapter names are changed, and the first two chapters have had some major additions, along with the fact that all typos -hopefully-are fixed.) Anywho, I have decided that whoever reviews the last chapter (whether with questions or whatever) will get an acknowledgement here, because it seems unfair for you to take the time to do it for the last chapter (I know it can be annoying sometimes) when no one seems to say they appreciate it! Hence, this author's note, and, if you were wondering, this will probably be on the end of all of our fics.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Fiend and Ryoko  
  
~*~  
  
Sakura-miaka-this fine person put us on their fav. Authors list! Thankies! Ryoko says she'll read your fic as soon as possible! Thank you for reviewing!  
  
White Eternity- nifty name :) the epilogue will probably be the first chapter of the sequel, kind of like a preview or prologue. Not sure. We may not even do one. Thanks for the suggestion, though! Ryoko says she hadn't thought of it before...but it's a good idea! Thanks for reviewing! ^^  
  
Zidane-arigatou!  
  
Catrina-touching? Really? *touched* aw, shucks...thanks!  
  
~*~  
  
That's all for now! More will be added with more reviews! 


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